


Golden Age of the Sith

by DarthImperius



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Sith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-19
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2018-08-09 16:43:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 48,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7809574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthImperius/pseuds/DarthImperius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In old times, the Sith Empire flourished under the reign of the Dark Lords of the Sith. But as the Great Hyperspace War leaves the Sith species and their teachings nearly eradicated, the descendants of a group of survivors must look up to the stars, and wait for the day when the Sith shall return to a new Golden Age.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Star Wars belongs to Disney.

* * *

 

“Normal speech”

_“Thoughts”_

**“Other Language”**

* * *

 

 **Author’s Note:** Before you begin to read this, allow me to explain something (or at least try to do so). This story is what I like to call a “conceptual story”, as it began as a concept that I turned into a fanfiction (much like all other fanfics). The difference is that this serves merely as an experiment, not a full-fledged story. Sure, I might “update” this, adding new chapters, yet I guess that only I might be able to see the true purpose of this little thing. Nevertheless, here is my “experiment 2” (the first one was, and continues to be, “God of Eden”).

* * *

 

**_ Chapter 1 – The Beginning _ **

**Hogwarts School, Highlands, Scotland (U.K.)**

The moon shone brightly over the castle of Hogwarts, also giving the Black Lake a rather silvery tone. Within the castle, inside a special room in the Hospital Wing, were two infants, sleeping peacefully and undisturbed by the events of the world. They were rather similar in appearance, although a few differences could be spotted, such as the hair colour. However, the main difference would have to be the small scar on the forehead of one of the two boys, which curiously resembled a lightning bolt. It has a red tint to it, almost as if it was a wound instead. The one with the scar, was Harry Potter, the youngest of the two twins, his name having been chosen in honour of his paternal great-grandfather. His brother, on the other hand, was called Michael, the name having once belonged to one of his paternal great-great-grandparents, a member of the Crouch family. Regardless, as the two children slept, they were silently observed by an old man with a rather long beard who also wore half-moon glasses and strange extravagant robes.

This man, Albus Dumbledore, was the headmaster of Hogwarts, and his interest in one of the two Potters was much great, for it had been he the cause for the defeat of the infamous Lord Voldemort. It was rather surreal, to think that a toddler had caused the death of one of the most powerful dark wizards the world had seen in centuries, but Dumbledore knew better. The scar left by Voldemort’s curse on Harry Potter’s forehead was a clear signal that it was he the marked child of Trelawney’s prophecy, but unfortunately, Voldemort had not been truly vanquished. While his physical form had died, in some shape or form part of him still remained. It was something that Dumbledore was sure of.

And as he remained lost in thought, Dumbledore was only distracted by the sound of someone entering the room. It had been his colleague, Professor McGonagall, one of the teachers at Hogwarts. The old headmaster noticed that she had a quite relieved expression on her face.

“Good evening, Professor Dumbledore,” she greeting, speaking in a low tone, aware of the sleeping children. “The healers in St. Mungos say the two will survive, but it will take a while before they can leave the hospital.”

“More good news, it seems,” said the old headmaster of Hogwarts. “Unfortunately, I’m afraid that Hogwarts isn’t the best location for the young Potters to remain while their parents stay in there. Any suggestions, Professor?”

She shook her head, having no idea about where the two twins could be left for the time being. Personally, she believed that having them at Hogwarts was dangerous, as some of the students were supporters of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and they could attempt to avenge the fallen dark wizard.

“Did Lily and James specify any guardians for the twins if something happened to them?” asked the Transfiguration professor.

“Not that I know of,” admitted Dumbledore. “James’s relatives are either dead or pledged to Voldemort. As for Lily’s relatives…you know that she has distanced herself from them. Not to mention we don’t know where they reside.”

“At times like this, it would be best if Lily’s cover story was in fact true,” commented McGonagall. “When people discover what happened this night, they’ll see him as a legend.  And _he_ still has supporters out there. The two will be certainly targeted!”

“I am aware of that, professor,” said Dumbledore. “Regardless, I believe it is better for us to discuss this in the morning. We should let the children rest.”

McGonagall nodded, and followed the aged headmaster out of the room, each heading to their respective offices, blind and oblivious to the yellow eyes observing them, which as they left, turned towards the marked child. The figure was fully robed, a strange belt-like device on its waist, alongside a strange metallic cylindrical object. The figure held no malice, merely curiosity, and a strong determination, for she had come to Hogwarts for a single reason.

 **“The presence of alchemy is clear in you two,”** she said in another language, before chuckling. **“It seems your mother cannot truly let go of her roots.”**

A red skinned and rather bony finger touched Harry’s scar, the young child moving in his sleep. In the moonlight, one would be able to see the figure’s face, mostly humanoid, but with features not found in humans, such as the red skin and a pair of small tendrils on each cheek. As she touched the young child, she felt a jolt on her entire body.

 **“The Force is strong in you, child,”** she stated. **“Perhaps the Kissai are right about this prophecy of theirs.”**

She then diverted her attention towards the other sleeping child.

 **“The Force is strong in your brother as well, yet his power does not equal yours,”** she said. **“For now, his fate does not lie with us.”**

Her eyes turned once again towards Harry, the yellow shining in the darkness.

**“But you, young Harry…your destiny lies forever with the Sith.”**

And so it would be that in the next morning, Madam Pomfrey entered the room where the Potter twins were resting, but to her horror only Michael was there, Harry having vanished. Instead, on his cot was a strange shroud, filled with many strange letter-like symbols, a message to anyone that understood what the shroud actually was. And only upon Lily Potter’s recovery from Voldemort’s attack would the wizards know what happened to the young Boy-Who-Lived.


	2. The Overlord of the Sith

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Star Wars belongs to Disney.

* * *

“Normal speech”

_“Thoughts”_

**“Other Language”**

* * *

 

 **Author’s Note:** Oh, I forgot to mention something in the Author’s Note of the previous chapter. This story will borrow a few concepts from my other SW/HP crossover. Just a few things that I liked a bit too much.

* * *

 

**_ Chapter 2 – The Overlord of the Sith _ **

**Ragnos, Sahara Desert**

Thousands of years ago, when the Sith were defeated by the Republic at the end of the Great Hyperspace War, a group managed to escape the holocaust that followed, seeking refuge in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy. And so would the Sith land on a world inhabited by primitive humans, seemingly isolated from the galactic community. Believing the world to be their salvation, the exiled Sith built a city beneath a massive desert, away from the eyes of the world. Mostly, that is.

Named after one of the greatest Dark Lords of the Sith to rule over the Sith Empire, Ragnos served as the capital of the Sith states scattered across the world, a confederation ruled by the Sith Overlord, who was in turn advised by his Sith Council. The reigning Overlord of the Sith was Gepta Hord, a direct descendent of Tulak Hord, one of the ancient Dark Lords of the Sith. His fortress stood above all the other buildings, overseeing the entirety of Ragnos. Having been built in memory of the old Citadel on Ziost, the leader of what remained of the old Sith Empire used it as his residence as well.

 **“Tell me, are you certain that he is the one?”** questioned Hord.

**“He bears the Mark of the Pretender. And the Force flows freely in him…unrestrained. I am certain of it.”**

The Lord of the Sith turned around, looking at his former sister-in-law. Shaar Krev had married his brother, Vincine Hord, the former and late Sith Overlord, who ruled over the Sith unopposed. In the end, the only enemy he had been unable to defeat was a disease that took hold of his respiratory system. With his death, several rose to take the mantle of Sith Overlord, yet all fell to the strength of Gepta Hord. Shaar had made it very clear that she had no intentions of usurping the Sith throne, stating that she had no patience for ruling over the entire Sith. Instead, his brother’s widow was granted a seat in the Sith Council, still having the power to back her position.

But Vincine had not died without leaving progeny. He and Shaar had a single daughter, who abandoned the Sith and discarded her birth name for another one.

**“And your daughter? What was her reaction to your…appearance?”**

**“She wasn’t there. She and her husband are in a medical centre, recovering from an attack** ,” explained Shaar. **“The child was with his brother in that fortress where she studied.”**

She noticed that Gepta’s cheek tendrils began to quiver, while his eyebrows were raised.

 **“So you…kidnapped him? An interesting choice,”** affirmed the Sith Lord. **“Regardless, you realize the consequences this prophecy will bring to us if it comes to be true, correct?”**

 **“Of course. I would not take the initiative if I was not certain of it,”** she declared. **“We are destined to reclaim our place in the stars. And he is the key to our destiny.”**

The Sith Overlord once more turned towards the windows, observing the city below. He knew that once day the Sith would be capable of rising from their self-inflicted exile on that world, much like all those who came before him. He knew that one day the Dark Lords of the Sith would rise again, and if the dark side of the Force had decreed that his great-nephew was the one to do so, then he would ensure that the boy would be raised as a Sith.

 **“We have to remove the alterations made by your daughter. To restore his original appearance,”** said Gepta.

 **“That won’t take long. All that she learned about alchemy came from me,”** stated the woman. **“She might have strength in the Force, but her training was not fully complete.”**

 **“Then I believe that task falls down to you,”** said the old Sith Overlord. **“Once that is done, you will see that the boy learns our language. I shall oversee his training.”**

Shaar nodded. **“Very well. I shall prepare for the ritual.”**

**“Then you may go.”**

* * *

 

When the ritual had been complete, and Lily Potter’s Sith alchemy dispelled from her son, Harry Potter had changed. His face now sported a pair of thin cheek tendrils and his skin had changed from its previous light colour to a light shade of red, as common in all Sith children. Over the centuries, the last pure Sith had become extinct due to interbreeding with both humans and the Sith-human hybrids which descended from the Jen’jidai which landed on their ancient homeworld so long ago.

Now, it was time to see if this young Sith was to truly become the salvation of the Sith and their teachings. And Gepta knew very well what would happen when his grand-nephew was fully trained in the ways of the Sith, knowing the prophecy that concerned him. The boy would certainly seek a way to overthrow him and claim the position of Sith Overlord to himself, and perhaps even go beyond that.

But still, right now only time would tell what the child would become.

* * *

 

**_ The Holocron: _ **

**Vincine Hord** – The late husband of Shaar Krev and former Sith Overlord. A direct descendent of Tulak Hord, Vincine would take the Sith throne after defeating the former Overlord in combat, following the old Sith tradition. He fell victim to a disease on 1976, and was succeeded by his brother.

 **Gepta Hord** – Brother of Vincine Hord and the current Sith Overlord. He gained the title after eliminating all of his rivals, following his brother’s death. He is also the current patriarch of the Hord clan.

 **Shaar Krev** – The widow of Vincine Hord and mother of Lily Potter. After her husband’s death, she managed to gain a seat in the Sith Council.


	3. Awakening

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Star Wars belongs to Disney.

* * *

 

“Normal speech”

_“Thoughts”_

**“Other Language”**

**_“Other speech”_ **

* * *

 

**_ Chapter 3 – Awakening _ **

**St Mungo’s Hospital, London, England (U,K.)**

As the light of the sun began to disappear from the skies of London, a recently awakened Lily Potter stared into the sleeping form of her husband, having been placed in that state by the healers, in order to accelerate the process of healing. Voldemort’s attack had caused James far more injuries than to her, yet better that than to have been killed. She had been informed by a rather happy healer that the two boys were alive and that Voldemort had been defeated, something which possibly explained the healer’s happiness.

Still, Lily could not help but chastise herself. Had she been faster, Voldemort would even be unable to have the chance to attack her or the two boys, yet the bastard had outsmarted her. Nevertheless, she had survived, much like the rest of her family. But the fact that they were in such a situation meant they had been betrayed by Pettigrew. Oh, if she had the opportunity to get her hands on the little rat… he would learn the consequences of betraying a Sith.

As she thought about the many things she would do to Peter if she got her hands on him, two visitors entered the room where Lily and James were, distracting the witch from her thoughts.

“Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall,” she greeted. “It’s good to see you.”

“It is good to see you as well Lily,” said the old headmaster. “We came as soon as we knew of your awakening.”

But then Lily noticed the sombre expression on McGonagall’s face, which was also reflected on Dumbledore’s. With the Force, she could even feel their emotions. It was…heavy concern and, strangely, fear.

“Did something happen?” she asked.

“Your son, Harry…he vanished,” said McGonagall.

Lily’s eyes widened.

“I’m sorry, what?” she said astonished. “How could have my son vanished?”

“We don’t know,” admitted Dumbledore. “We saw both him and young Michael sleeping inside the Hospital Wing, and in the next morning Harry was gone.”

Dumbledore removed something from a pocket on his robes.

“We found this, on his cot,” said Dumbledore, giving it to Lily.

She took it, and recognized what it was at first sight.

“Oh.”

Her reaction to the shroud had been very dry, almost as if she had been expecting it. Something which unnerved both Dumbledore and McGonagall.

“Do you know what it is?” asked McGonagall.

“Yes, I do. This is part of a Sith burial shroud.”

“Sith? Your people?” asked Minerva.

Lily nodded. “Yes. This type of shroud in particular, is used solely for members of the Hord clan. I think I know where Harry is…and also who took him,” she said, before sighing. “Perhaps, this is for the best.”

“But who was it, Lily?” inquired the old witch. “Who took him?”

Both she and Dumbledore received the answer with an unexplainable sense of dread.

“My family.”

* * *

 

**Hereford House, Herefordshire, England (U.K.)**

When James woke up, he did not receive the news of Harry’s kidnapping as calmly as Lily. The eldest Potter was completely furious, and when the realization that Peter had betrayed them settled in, his fury grew to even higher levels. Only calmed by his wife, James had decided to move the family back into the old estate, former residence of his ancestors. In his youth, he disliked the house, finding it too gloomy. The simple and rather cosy cottage in Godric’s Hollow was a nice change from the old aristocratic residence.

But now that Voldemort had practically made the cottage unusable, he had to reuse the old house. The dusty white sheets had been removed from greater part of the furniture, and he had to hire a maintenance team of sorts. While he could have used house-elves, he didn’t trust the little buggers. In James’s mind, the defencelessness of house-elves as merely an act. He was sure that those small creatures plotted something in secret, even if Lily tried to convince him otherwise. To her, sometimes James was a lost cause.

To their shock, Sirius had been arrested, for seemingly killing Peter Pettigrew and a group of muggles, and thrown in Azkaban, having also been accused of following Voldemort. James quickly made sure to remove his friend from Azkaban, forcing the ministry to give him a trial, proving Sirius’s innocence and the rather lovely fact that Pettigrew was still alive and out there. Still, Harry’s disappearance had not gone unnoticed by the wizarding world. All wanted to know what had happened to their “saviour”, forcing Dumbledore to affirm that he had been placed in a secret location for his own safety, away from any who could attempt to do him harm, such as followers of Lord Voldemort.

The two parents agreed that it had been a good idea, at least for the time being. Perhaps the media would leave them alone for a while, not matter how unlikely that possibility was.

“Is he asleep?”

Lily had returned from the upper section of the house, having placed Michael on his bed. Night had already fallen in Britain, and the little child was tired.

“In a few minutes, he will be,” she replied to her husband. “This day was rather exhaustive to him.”

“To all of us,” declared James. “It’s…different without him.”

“We must learn to live without him,” said Lily, resigned to the events that occurred. “It’s the only way.”

“We could…we could try to recover him.”

“It’s impossible,” she declared.

“We could ask Dumbledore for help! He is the most powerful wizard alive!” said James. “With his help we could-“

“James, try to understand something. The Sith hold powers beyond the comprehension of wizards. And their strength is not just in the Force. The Sith are everywhere in this world, both humans and Red Sith. Infiltrated in governments, companies…everywhere,” declared Lily. “They are not like the Death Eaters. The Sith are not an enemy you, or any other wizard can fight. To destroy the Sith, you would have to destroy this entire world.”

As she said those words, both James and Lily felt a strange force approaching them…a huge darkness emerging from all around them.

“What…what is this?” asked the Potter patriarch.

Lily on the other hand, was a bit more familiar with the situation.

“I feel…the dark side. It’s…immense…almost as if…”

A shadow emerged, soon taking form, a glowing blue spectre appearing before them.

**_“I would listen to your wife, magician.”_ **

The spectre’s voice was deep and ancient, Lily knowing exactly what this apparition was.

“What? Who…who are you?” asked James, pointing his wand at the spectre.

 ** _“I am Tulak Hord, Dark Lord of the Sith,”_** affirmed the ghost. **_“And I have come to warn you, wizard, that you cannot, and must not interfere with the work of the dark side of the Force! You as well, renegade.”_**

The last remark had been clearly intended towards Lily, the gaze of the ancient Sith Lord falling on her.

 ** _“The dark side has decreed that the true Dark Lords of the Sith shall rise once more,”_** said Ragnos. **_“Neither you, nor anyone can prevent the ascension of the Sith.”_**

“Our son, he is involved in that isn’t he?” asked Lily.                   

**_“He is, renegade.”_ **

James however, was confused.

“Involved? Involved in what?”

To which the ancient spirit responded.

**_“He…will be one of the great ones.”_**

* * *

 

**_ Author’Note: _ **

This last part was based on Freedon Nadd’s warning to Ulic Qel-Droma in **_Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith_**.


	4. The Trial

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Star Wars belongs to Disney.

* * *

 

“Normal speech”

_“Thoughts”_

**“Other Language”**

**_“Other speech”_ **

* * *

 

**_ Chapter 4 – The Trial _ **

**Ragnos, Sahara Desert**

As the years passed, the child which had once been known as Harry Potter grew amongst the Lords of the Sith, being raised in the ways of the Sith and the dark side, much like all others of his species. In the beginning, the absence of his parents had been strange, but as he grew they became a distant memory. In the end, all that Harry knew about them was the fact that his mother had abandoned the Sith and that he had a brother. Not that it mattered much to him.

Having been born into the Hord clan, he was part of the Kissai caste, and as such his training had been far more focused on the workings of the dark side of the Force and the philosophy of the Sith. Under the priests, he studied the nature of the dark side and the usage of the ancient Sith sorcery and alchemy. His training in the art of lightsaber combat came from holocrons and from his grand-uncle as well. The actual combat was mostly made against other Sith acolytes and training droids. However, Harry still followed the ancient traditions of the Sith during his training, not restricting himself to the usage of a lightsaber. The young apprentice made use of the old Sith swords, much like his ancestors did. Due to his lineage, and the fact that many saw him as the prophesied Sith who would resurrect the old empire, Harry had gathered a rather impressive amount of followers, especially for his age.

But when he was not training, Harry spent most of his time meditating on the dark side at one of the several Sith shrines in Ragnos. A practice which he was currently doing, until he was distracted by sensing another approaching him.

**“What is it?”**

**“Lord Gepta calls for you,”** said the Sith. **“He demands your presence outside the Great Temple.”**

Harry rose from his position, and silently walked past the messenger, quickly heading towards the centre of the city, where the Great Temple was located. Once there, the young Sith searched for the Sith Overlord, whose figure was somewhat hidden near a statue. Having spotted him, Harry approached his grand-uncle.

**“My Lord, I have come as you asked.”**

Harry felt the old man’s piercing gaze on him, as if he was looking beyond his body, into something else.

 **“You have grown strong in the Force. More than anyone of your age normally does** ,” said Gepta. **“Yet the mark of the dark side still grows within you. It is time to see if you truly have what it takes to truly join the ranks of the Sith.”**

Gepta waved his hand, and the doorway to the interior of the temple was opened, allowing Harry to see the darkness within.

 **“You will enter the temple, and inside you shall search for the tomb of Narmer, our last Dark Lord. If you succeed, all you find within the temple shall belong to you. But I require proof of your success,”** declared the Sith Overlord. **“Within his tomb lies an ancient datapad. Bring it to me, and you shall be made a Sith Lord.”**

 **“It shall be done,”** said Harry, confident of his success.

**“I warn you though, many have tried to breach the temple and claim its treasures for themselves. None have returned.”**

Harry nodded, and began to walk towards the entrance of the temple, staring into its dark depths. And as he entered the corridor, all he heard was the door closing behind him, followed by deathly silence.

Igniting his lightsaber, Harry began to walk forward, seeking any traps that could try to claim his life. But there was nothing, almost as if the temple was empty. But he could feel the potency of the dark side. The very walls were pulsing with its power. He was sure that there was something in the temple, and he could feel himself being watched. He reached the end of the corridor, a closed door being his only obstacle. Using the Force to open it, Harry entered a small chamber.

To his surprise, in the middle of the chamber was a cloaked figure, surrounded by shadows. He could feel the power of the dark side intensifying just by the presence of that…thing. Whatever it was…Harry knew it had immense strength.

 ** _“So… you finally arrived,”_** said the apparition, a voice which he recognized.

 **“Why are you here?”** asked Harry. **“This is my trial. I don’t need your interference.”**

**_“I do not intend to interfere. I merely wish to…oversee your attempts.”_ **

This entity…Harry knew it very well. The Lord of Hate and Master of the Gathering Darkness, Tulak Hord. The ancient Dark Lord who was his ancestor had appeared before him during one of his holocron study sessions, and had been since then a key figure in his training. Perhaps he could be of use here.

“Fine then. Do whatever you want.”

 ** _“Regardless of your objections, I believe you have already felt the potency of the dark side here,”_** said the spirit of Tulak Hord. **_“This temple was built around the tomb you seek. A way of testing those who sought to claim the title of Dark Lord for themselves. As you know…all failed. Perhaps you will too.”_**

 **“Don’t even joke about it,”** said Harry as he entered another corridor. **“I have no intention of dying in here.”**

 ** _“It rests within you weather you will succeed or not. In this place your only ally is the dark side…but it is also your greatest enemy. The Sith magics and the guardians of this temple are relentless,”_** affirmed Hord.

**“What guardians?”**

His question was received with a chuckle.

**_“Oh…you will meet them soon enough.”_ **

* * *

** _The Holocron:_   
**

**Narmer** \- An ancient Sith Pureblood which reigned over the Sith remnant as Dark Lord of the Sith. After reaching Earth, Narmer would take control of both Upper and Lower Egypt, becoming the founder of the First Dynasty. He also founded the city of Ragnos, where he was entombed after his death,


	5. The Tomb of Narmer

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Star Wars belongs to Disney.

* * *

 “Normal speech”

_“Thoughts”_

**“Other Language”**

**_“Other speech”_ **

* * *

  ** _Chapter 5 – The Tomb of Narmer _ **

**Great Temple, Ragnos, Sahara Desert**

As the young Sith acolyte traversed through the dark and empty corridors, Harry began to feel as if he was being observed. Whether it was the dark side of the Force causing this sensation or something else, Harry began to feel his apprehension increasing when he reached another door.

 **“I have a bad feeling about this,”** he said.

Opening the door with the Force, Harry entered a large chamber, weakly illuminated by a small grate in the high ceiling. There were several corpses on the ground, and next to them were weapons which they possibly used in life. His lightsaber was already ignited, the crimson blade giving its surroundings a red tint.

 **“These must be the trespassers?”** he concluded. **“But what killed them?”**

The answer came from the spirit of his ancestor.

 **“I told you, the defences of this place are relentless. The dark side powers of Narmer have leaked from his tomb and infected this temple,”** said Tulak Hord. **“All those who enter this place are forever cursed to remain here as its guardians. I’m sure you understand what that means.”**

In an instant, Harry’s attention was shifted towards the corpses on the ground, his lightsaber prepared for combat.

**“Why haven’t they awakened yet?”**

**_“Who says they aren’t awake?”_** asked Hord. ** _“These creatures possess a very limited degree of intelligence. As such, they use all of it as they can. Perhaps they are waiting for you to make your move.”_**

Harry narrowed his eyes, and began to move slowly towards the end of the room, where the door to another section of the room was. The closer he got, the more suspicious he became, until at last, a voice, seemingly made of many spoke.

 ** _“Defiler!”_** it said. **_“You dare to disturb the sleep of the Dark Lord!”_**

As soon as it spoke, the corpses began to rise, grabbing the discarded weapons near them.

 ** _“Death to the defiler!”_** it spoke once more. ** _“Death to those who trespass this sacred place!”_**

As the things advanced, Harry struck at them with his lightsaber. Each time his lightsaber struck at the creatures, an unnatural scream of pain came from them. Hord may have claimed that these things had some sort of intelligence, but in the end there were nothing more than an obstacle to his ascension.

 **“Nothing will stand in my path!”** he said as he struck down the reanimated corpses. **“I will not fall to mere corpses!”**

The Force gathered around his body, before he unleased it in a powerful maelstrom of dark side energy, blasting the creatures away with Force lightning. Once he had verified that all the reanimated trespassers had been returned to death, the young Sith moved towards the door, opening it and entering a rather small corridor.

 ** _“Before you lies the entrance of Narmer’s tomb,”_** said the ancient Sith Lord, appearing once more. **_“The dark side is gathered here as a nexus of immense power.”_**

 **“I can feel it,”** said Harry. **“Is this a remnant of Narmer’s power?”**

 ** _“This tomb was built in the same fashion as those on Korriban. The power of the dark side is amplified by the tomb,”_** explained Hord. **_“What you feel is more than Narmer’s power.”_**

Harry opened the tomb’s entrance, revealing another dark corridor. As he walked silently to its end, he realized that there was no door to the next chamber, revealing a small room with a droid at its centre, surrounded by bones. The droid seemed to be harmless, but the presence of those bones indicated otherwise.

 **“Presence detected. Initiating greeting protocols** ,” it said. **“Greetings. I was placed here to protect the sarcophagus of Lord Narmer. His Lordship has decreed that any who wish to gain his knowledge must pass a simple test.”**

 **“A test? What kind of test?”** asked Harry.

**“I must evaluate whether you have the qualities appreciated by Lord Narmer in a Sith,” said the droid. “If you succeed, the path becomes open to you. If you fail, the defence mechanisms will be activated, and you will be exterminated.”**

So, those corpses were most likely the rest of the trespassers who managed to escape the undead Sith in the previous chamber. The rather ridiculous number of skeletons was a bit worrying to Harry. What exactly did Narmer want to see in a Sith that all these who came before lacked?

 **“Very well. What am I required to do?”** asked the aspiring Sith Lord.

 **“You are required to answer several questions regarding Sith lore,”** it replied. **“Are you prepared?”**

**“Yes.”**

**“First question. You are under the command of another Sith. He has proven to be an effective leader in the Empire and is trusted by many, possibly capable of attaining the position of Dark Lord, and bringing the Sith Empire to glory. One day, you have the opportunity to kill him. What do you do?”**

Well, that was an easy one. It was in the nature of a Sith to ascend by killing those above and taking their place.

**“I kill him, taking his place in the Empire.”**

**“The answer is correct.”** confirmed the droid. **“Second question. Should a Sith achieve victory by any means desirable? Elaborate on your answer.”**

That question required his knowledge and interpretation of the Sith Code. There were many interpretations rampant in the academy, the majority generated by fools and rash individuals who acted without thinking.

**“No. Without truly demonstrating one’s power, any victory is temporary and an illusion.”**

**“Your interpretation has proven to be acceptable by Lord Narmer’s standards.”** said the droid. **“Third question. You find a source of immense power in the Force. Do you share it with the Sith, strengthening them as a whole, or keep it to yourself?”**

 **“I do not share it,”** declared Harry. **“The Sith do not share power.”**

**“The answer is correct. Final question. Having lived for many years, you know that your death is quickly approaching. At this time, do your pass to your apprentice the rest of your knowledge, or die with it?”**

As Tulak Hord looked with expectation towards him, Harry began to wonder what he would do if he was in that situation. As a Sith master, he would have to pass his knowledge to an apprentice, making sure that the Sith teachings would not die out. But he sensed something wrong with this whole situation.

He was sure that all those who came before him and had died in this trial could have not simply got all of their answers wrong. They were simple. Too much even. All these Sith had died attempting to prove their power, failing in the end. And it was then that realization hit him.

_“Wait! That’s it!”_

It was simple, but he was sure that this had been a trick question.

**“I do neither. A true Sith never dies.”**

**“Your answer is correct. I congratulate you. You have been the only one to correctly answer this question,”** said the guardian droid. **“The way is open to you. I shall remain here, guarding the entrance.”**

As soon as the droid said that, the door behind it was opened, revealing a large room. Harry walked past the droid, entering the chamber.

 ** _“No wonder all who came before you failed,”_** commented Tulak Hord, who then observed the new room. **_“Ah. It seems you have one more trial to pass.”_**

**_“What trial?”_ **

**_“In order to access the Sarcophagus’s chamber, you need to unlock it with your own power.”_** said Hord. **“ _Use the power of the dark side to force open the door. Do it!”_**

Harry walked towards the centre of the chamber, and once there, the Sith apprentice began to concentrate on the power of the dark side, the Sith amulets on his hands sparking with power. His body began to glow with green power, and upon raising his hands, Harry unleashed a bolt of infinite hatred upon the door, the immense concentration of dark side energy being enough to burst the door open.

The yellow in Harry’s eyes seemed to come alive upon taking notice of the final chamber, and the young Sith made way towards it. Curiously enough, it was small and circular, the sarcophagus being located in the centre, in front of a statue of Narmer. He looked around, and saw pedestals with Sith holocrons. The young Sith took hold of them, placing the holocrons inside a bag he usually carried around.

Harry then turned his attention towards the sealed sarcophagus. Using the Force, he opened it, revealing the mummified corpse of the ancient Sith Lord, holding an old Sith sword. And next to It was the datapad his grand-uncle required. He took hold of it, activating the device. The screen showed only numbers, confusing the young Sith. What exactly could the Sith Overlord want with the device?

Nevertheless, he grabbed it, and as he closed the sarcophagus, Harry realized that Tulak Hord had disappeared. Shrugging, he left the chamber, and made way to the entrance of the temple.


	6. Lord of the Sith

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Star Wars belongs to Disney.

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"Normal speech"

" _Thoughts"_

" **Other Language"**

" _ **Other speech"**_

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_**Chapter 6 – Lord of the Sith** _

**Ragnos, Sahara Desert**

As the doors of the temple were opened, those outside were mesmerized at the sight of the young Sith apprentice leaving the temple, a bag filled with ancient Sith holocrons and a datapad on his hand. Many kept wondering how exactly he and been able to achieve what many tried to do for at least five thousand years, yet kept failing and perishing inside the temple.

" **I assume this is what you wanted, Lord Gepta,"** said Harry as he approached the Sith Overlord, handing him the datapad he recovered.

Gepta took the datapad, activating it and observing as the device flickered to life, showing him the same numbers it had shown Harry previously. He gave the device to one of his Massassi guards, before turning his attention towards his great-nephew.

" **I don't know how exactly you did it, but today you breached a tomb that kept its secrets safe for five millennia,"** he said. **"Having observed all of your trials, and acknowledging your prowess in the dark side of the Force, and your knowledge of our ways, I believe it is time for you to join the ranks of the Lords of the Sith."**

At that moment, anyone who looked at Harry's face would have seen a dangerous glint on his eyes, Gepta having been the first to notice it.

" **As of now, you are no longer an apprentice,"** he declared. **"From now on, you are acknowledged as Dramath Hord, Lord of the Sith."**

Dramath. He had been given that name upon arriving at Ragnos, as a way of fully integrating him into the Sith society. Yet when he discovered his birth name, courtesy of his grandmother, Harry began to privately use it, finding it a bit simpler than Dramath.

 **"Now, come with me. We need to speak in the citadel,"** said Gepta.

Harry nodded, and followed the old Sith Lord, wondering what the old man wanted.

* * *

 

**Sith Citadel, Ragnos, Sahara Desert**

**"I assume you don't have any idea of what you exactly recovered from that accursed tomb, am I correct?"**

Harry nodded. **"Not really."**

 **"Before his death, Narmer decided that only when a Sith was able to enter his tomb and survive the trials within, would we be allowed to leave this planet and enter the galaxy once more,"** explained Gepta. **"This datapad, contains the launch codes for all our ships. This is the key to our escape from this world."**

Harry's eyes widened in surprise. So that little device was all that the Sith needed to leave Earth? A bit odd, but who was he to complain.

" **Will you use them now?"** asked Harry.

 **"For now no. There are still things that need to be done before we take such a step,"** said Gepta. **"It's not something that can be done overnight. We need to prepare ourselves first before we reach for the stars once more."**

It was a reasonable statement, Harry thought.

" **Now, to another matter, and let's keep this short,"** said Gepta. **"As you are no longer my apprentice, and have reached the status of Sith Lord, you are now free to take your own apprentices and also to… choose your own path. You are no longer restricted to the usual apprenticeship limits. Even now, you still show great promise, young one. Do not waste your potential."**

Harry nodded.

" **You may go then. I have things to do, and I am sure you have as well."**

* * *

 

As the young Sith Lord left the chamber, he began to plan for the future. There was no doubt that one day he would challenge Gepta for the supreme lordship of the Sith, but for now he would focus on amassing more power. The relics he recovered from Narmer's tomb would prove to be useful on that matter, but there was something else that bothered him. Something that only his grandmother would be able to assist him.

For that purpose, he left the citadel, heading towards one of the temples in the city. His grandmother usually spent that majority of her time meditating on the dark side there, except when she was instructing novice priests in the rituals and traditions of the Kissai. As he reached the temple, he saw as the youngest of the Sith bowed to him in respect of his new status and already known power. As he entered the building, he saw his grandmother in front of the central obelisk.

He could see the dark side flowing around her, almost as if it was dancing.

" **Greetings child,"** she said, startling Harry. **"I congratulate you for your accomplishment today."**

" **So, I guess you heard the news,"** he replied.

" **Quite. You have surpassed your mother,"** she commented. **"She never became one of the Lords of the Sith. Left us before attaining the chance."**

Ah. And there was the perfect opportunity to speak about a certain issue.

" **Grandmother, I need a favour from you."**

The aged Sith Lord looked at him intrigued.

" **A favour, you say?"**

" **Yes. In the last weeks, I have grown curious about the world my mother defected to,"** he said. **"I am also curious about them as well."**

Harry heard a low chuckle, and watched as his grandmother got up from her position.

" **I wondered when this day would come. And knowing you, I assume simple words are not enough,"** she said. **"You want to go there."**

Harry simply smiled. **"Indeed."**

She motioned him to follow, the two heading to one of the corridors.

" **Despite the treaty we have with them, wizards are a quite… impressionable people,"** said Shaar. **"If you wish to travel there, you need to assume a human appearance, much like your mother did."**

" **I can return to my original form, right?"**

" **Of course. You were changed once, by your mother, when you were born,"** she revealed. **"I reverted the changes when I brought you here."**

Shaar could see the excitement in Harry's face, as much as he tried to hide it. Even as he spoke, he could not hide it as well.

" **Then let's do it!"**


	7. Entering the Wizarding World

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Star Wars belongs to Disney.

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"Normal speech"

" _Thoughts"_

" **Other Language"**

" _ **Other speech"**_

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_**Chapter 7 – Entering the Wizarding World** _

**London, England (U.K.)**

While the change had been merely on the exterior, it had been rather unpleasant. To Harry, the lack of his cheek tendrils was equal to having part of his face removed, and the sensation was persistent and not very pleasant. Nevertheless, he was now "mostly physically human", giving him the chance to enter what his grandmother had referred to as the "wizarding world". He allowed the Force to guide him to the correct location, but the young Sith also made sure to remember his grandmother's instructions on how to infiltrate the commercial area.

Of course, he had been raised as a Sith, not knowing the language used by these people. For these situations, it was useful that he knew how to rip knowledge out of people's minds. Unfortunately for them, the sensation of having knowledge extracted from their mind was equal to being hit on the head by a brick several times. This lead to people wondering what happened to a man who suddenly began to scream on the middle of the street, falling to the ground whilst clutching his head.

He entered a rather shady pub, a bit empty but the people within made a sharp contrast with the humans on the main street outside. Nevertheless, the Sith Lord made way to the man who seemed to manage the establishment, addressing the man and speaking his first words in what he regarded as a very strange language.

"Erm…excuse me?"

The barman looked at him, his attention having been diverted from the dirty mugs. As soon as he looked at Harry, the man felt as if the boy was familiar, but he could not exactly remember who he looked like.

"The name's Tom, young sir," said the bartender. "What do you wish?"

"I need to enter…I think its called, Diagonally? Or something like that?" said Harry, not exactly remembering how the damned place was called. "I apologise, but it's the first time I've been here in England. I'm not exactly familiar with the place."

"Oh, certainly! However, it's Diagon Alley," said Tom as he motioned Harry to follow him. "This way."

He led the young Sith Lord into a small, walled courtyard, before taking out what Harry regarded as a small wooden stick, before taping a brick on the wall. The bricks began to rearrange themselves, forming an archway which revealed a street filled with witches and wizards.

" _Interesting,"_ thought Harry.

"There we go! Welcome to Diagon Alley," said Tom. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to return to the Cauldron."

Harry nodded. "Thank you."

As Tom left, Harry entered the ally, taking his time to observe both the shops and the wizards. He could sense…something around them, but he was not really sure of what it was. His grandmother said that these people used a strange magic, but neither she nor his mother had been able to confirm that it had any connection to the Force. For now, it was simply a strange supernatural force which only a certain group of people was able to use. Rather similar to the whole "Force-sensitivity" thing. Rather similar to the whole "Force-sensitivity" thing.

As he walked, he made sure to be as discrete as he could, deciding to enter a shop which apparently sold books. From the knowledge he had gained, it was seemingly called a "bookshop". A rather straightforward and simple designation, but he did not travel all the way from Ragnos just to try out a new language. There were some people inside, mostly adults searching the shelves for books. He moved towards one of shelves, and upon observing it, he realized that he was in a section filled with books about house cleaning with magic. Ignoring those, the Sith Lord decided to examine the rest of the bookshop, and a few minutes later, he left the establishment, entering the street once more.

He made sure to observe the remaining shops, eventually reaching what seemed to be a rather shady section of Diagon Alley. There was sign on the wall, indicating that the area he was looking at was called "Knockturn Alley", and soon enough Harry had entered said area. Unlike Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley was a very dirty place, the lack of maintenance being very visible. The wizards who frequented the alley also did not appear to be of the friendly sort, not that it stopped him.

Be as he walked, someone had grabbed his arm. Well, he stood corrected. Apparently, one of the wizards did stop him.

"Yes?" he asked, his voice dripping with venom.

"What's a child like you doing in a place like this?" asked the clearly male voice.

In mere instants, the Sith Lord probed the mind of the wizard, recognizing the malevolent intent in his mind.

"Let go of my arm," each word was spoken in a way that transmitted a very clear threat, but it seemed that the lowlife remained oblivious to the imminent danger.

Instead, the man attempted to pull Harry some place else, but his attempts were stopped by a sudden hissing sound and a red blade appearing out of nowhere, striking at the man's arm and severing it. The lowlife screamed in pain, attracting the attention of all others in the alley. His screams were stopped by a chocking nose, the man being levitated from the ground by an invisible force, his remaining hand moving towards his neck in an attempt to remove whatever was stopping him from breathing, but to his horror he found nothing there.

Soon, the only silence in the alley was a choking noise, soon followed by the sound of a neck being snapped and a body falling onto the ground. Harry turned towards the audience, which soon decided to return to their previous actions, felling it would be better to ignore the whole situation. Deactivating his lightsaber, Harry decided to leave the ally, deeming it unworthy of further exploration.

He quickly moved towards Diagon Alley, but as soon as he entered the street, he bumped against a person, the two nearly falling to the ground. However, as he went to look at who he had bumped against, his eyes widened in surprise. He could be wrong, but was sure that the woman in front of him was none other than Lily Potter, his mother, accompanied by who seemed to be his brother.


	8. The Encounter

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Star Wars belongs to Disney.

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" _Thoughts"_

" **Other Language"**

" _ **Other speech"**_

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_**Chapter 8 – The Encounter** _

**London, England (U.K.)**

"Do I really need to go?"

If there was one thing that Michael Potter hated, it would have to be those parties which his parents attended. At least since his father attained that position in the Ministry. He been nearly dragged from the manor to Diagon Alley so that Madam Malkin could make him new dress robes for the upcoming convention.

"Yes, and don't even try to argue about it," said Lily. "My decision is final."

The young Potter grumbled something, but kept silent after that. Lily glanced slightly at her oldest son, sighing due to his attempts. James and her were not exactly fans of said parties, if they could be called that, but they were a sacrifice that was necessary. At least to keep in touch with the workings of the ministry and the "pureblood society". Lily and James despised them, and sometimes the feeling was mutual, but in the end the socializing at least produced something. Except when they asked about Harry's location or how he was doing. When those types of questions arose, the two Potters would have to make up something, claiming that the "Boy-Who-Lived", as the others called him, was safe and keeping in touch with them. It was good to have Dumbledore backing said statements, since it prevented people from looking too much into it. There were a few that tried, but Lily dealt with them using certain methods that Dumbledore would not approve of. Not that he needed to know, though.

Regarding said methods, she also had made sure to train Michael in the ways of the Force, at least to the extent of her knowledge. She might have abandoned the Sith remnant, but that did not mean that she had left behind all of her upbringing. There were many things that could not simply be left behind. And remembering the Sith, she was also reminded of Harry's actual location and who was raising him. With him growing amongst the Sith, he would be raised in the same way as her, and if Hord's appearance years ago was to say something, she was certain that Harry would not follow her path.

"Cheer up, though," she said. "Need I to remind you that we're going to the final of the Quidditch World Cup?"

The mere mention of the Quidditch World Cup seemed to perk up Michael, but it was not enough to dispel his negative thoughts. It was then that he noticed that his mother had stopped.

"Mum?"

"I sense…a disturbance in the Force," she said, her face looking around as if searching for something. "A shift in the dark side… coming from Knockturn Alley. There is also someone familiar… and the Force is with them."

Michael followed his mother as she headed at a quick pace towards the entrance of Knockturn Alley. The young Potter nearly jumped in surprise as he saw his mother bump against a robed individual, and watched as the two quickly regained their composure. However, upon seeing the face of the robed person, his mouth gaped slightly upon seeing a face similar to his and that of his father, but with eerie yellow eyes instead of his mother's green or his father's hazel.

Lily reaction was very similar, standing in shock upon seeing the appearance of the boy in front of her. The facial features and the reflection of the dark side's corruption on his eyes were a clear signal of who he was.

"H-Harry?"

On the other hand, Harry was also surprised, but by two different reasons.

"Lily Potter, I assume," he spoke, wanting a clear confirmation of her identity.

He watched in curiosity as she regained her composure, yet the boy next to her still seem to be stunned by him.

"I am," she replied.

It was then that Harry smiled, but in a manner that crept out Michael. It was certainly not a false smile, and neither was it malevolent nor kind. It was simply… strange.

"Great! I suppose that means I won't have to waste my time looking for you," said the Sith Lord before looking at Michael. "From what grandmother told me, I think it's safe to say that's my brother, right?"

Lily was mesmerized by Harry's sudden appearance. She felt his strength in the Force, and that of the dark side as well. She was certain that their meeting had been fated to happen. The Force sometimes worked in mysterious ways.

"Yes, that's Michael. Your older brother," she said. "Twin brother, to be precise."

Harry looked at his older twin, analysing him. He could sense Michael's Force-sensitivity and his stance indicated that he was used to carry around what mostly likely was a lightsaber. That meant that their mother had trained him in the ways of the Force. If he had said weapon with him right now, he could not tell. But the fact that he had been trained raised his interest. Either he had been trained as a Sith, or as a simple Force adept.

Lily watched as Harry approached Michael, extending his hand in greeting. Michael shook Harry's hand, albeit a bit reluctantly. When the hands touched, Michael felt a jolt, feeling the potency of the dark side of the Force flowing through his brother. It was a… surprising and disconcerting experience.

"Harry," said the Sith Lord. "Or as our brethren call me, Dramath, Lord of the Sith."

That statement surprised Lily.

"Michael," replied the older twin. "But I guess you already knew that."

"You're a Sith Lord?" she asked surprised.

"Became one recently," he revealed. "Lord Gepta made me one after recovering after passing several trials and entering the Great Temple to recover something from the tomb inside."

Lily became more amazed with each revelation. To think that Harry had entered the Great Temple and managed to survive whatever was inside… it was surreal. In five millennia, no one survived against the temple's defences, and part of her could not help but feel pride over the fact that her son had been the one to do it.

"Should we be talking about this here?" spoke Michael, a bit concerned about those around them.

Harry took note of his surroundings, before agreeing with his brother.

"He's right. We should not be talking about this here," said Harry. "If you still want to talk, we need to find another place to do that."

"Ok then. That is, if you agree with my suggestion."

One of Harry's eyebrows was raised. "Where exactly?"

"Are you willing to go with us to our home?" asked Lily.

"Where is it?" replied the Sith Lord.

"The region is near Wales," said Michael. "Not exactly close to where we are."

"I have ways of getting there," said the Sith. "Just tell me where it is."

"Whatever you did to get here from the city, I believe there is a faster way of getting to the manor," said Lily. "It may be…an unsettling experience, but with enough time one gets used to it."

"Is that so?"

Lily extended her arm. "Take hold of my arm. You as well Michael. And whatever happens, don't let go of it."

The Sith Lord watched as his brother took hold of their mother's left arm, leaving Harry to take hold of the other one. A few seconds after he did so, he felt the Force warning him about something, but before he could react, the Sith felt something pulling him towards his mother, followed by formless shapes around him and the certainty that something wrong was happening. It was not something that he had ever experienced, but he could not say that it was exactly unpleasant. He had suffered worst.

When it stopped, he realized that he was no longer in Diagon Alley, instead standing in front of a large and old building, surrounded by plains.

" _What the…"_


	9. A Sith and His Family

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Star Wars belongs to Disney.

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"Normal speech"

" _Thoughts"_

" **Other Language"**

" _ **Other speech"**_

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_**Chapter 9 – A Sith and His Family** _

**Hereford House, Herefordshire, England (U.K.)**

The experience had been strange. In one moment, he was in that alley, and now he was in a completely different place, and all in a matter of seconds. The possibilities began to flood Harry's mind, as he began to evaluate the advantages of such an ability and if he would be able to learn it.

"Harry!"

He was snapped back into reality by the voice of his mother.

"Huh?"

"This is it," said Lily. "This is where we live."

Harry looked at the building, examining the architecture and size. Having been built on the exterior, there was a greater freedom of design, compared to the buildings back on Ragnos. It was large, but not too much, and it clearly reflected wealth. From that, he managed to deduce that his paternal family was rather well off.

"It's… interesting," spoke the Sith Lord.

"We should go in," said Lily.

Harry nodded, following Lily and his brother as the two walked towards the entrance. As his mother opened the door and they entered, Harry began to see exactly what the differences were between the decorative traditions of the Sith and these people. While the Sith relied more on reliefs and statues to decorate their structures, these people seemed to rely on many objects such as rugs, tapestries, paintings, busts and many other decorative trinkets. He could see the appeal in such things, but a Sith would have other priorities than decoration.

"Is he here?" asked Harry.

"Who?" replied Michael.

"Our father," answered the Sith. "Is he here?"

Lily shook her head. "James is working right now. He'll only return in a few hours."

Harry nodded, accepting the answer.

"So…mother, I am curious," said Harry. "What exactly led you to leave the Sith? What is so… appealing about this live that you decided to leave your old life behind?"

Lily sighed, and motioned the two boys to follow, Michael also curious about this.

"I'm sure you know about the treaty between wizards and the Sith, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Back when I was a child, I learned about wizardkind, and grew curious," she admitted. "I got in contact with an Algerian wizard, who revealed to me that I most likely possessed the ability to wield magic. A strange coincidence, but I accepted it as the will of the Force."

"But why Britain?"

"Because of Dumbledore," she answered. "At the time, he was revered amongst many wizards for his power and wisdom, so I decided that it would be a good idea to see what was so great about him. And with a little bit of manipulation and the help of my mother, I became a student of Hogwarts."

So, his grandmother had been involved in his mother's infiltration is wizard society. That was both interesting and strange.

"And as I spent my years here, I grew attached to the wizarding world," she said. "And despite your father's antics during his school years, I eventually fell for him, and that was what led to my decision to leave the Sith."

Harry smiled. "Not truly, have you? Your usage of Sith alchemy to hide the true appearance of my brother and I, suggests that you still have a few connections to your past."

It was Michael's turn to be confused. "True appearance?"

"The three of us are not humans, as I'm sure you know," said Harry to his brother. "He have human ancestry, which gives us certain human features, but we were born as Red Sith. Even now, I simply hid my true appearance because grandmother suggested I did so."

He looked at his brother, examining him once more.

"Your stance suggests something usually weights you down. A lightsaber, I presume," said Harry. "I sense the Force is you as well, so mother must have trained you."

Michael was surprised that Harry had just deduced that by looking at him. Did the usage of a lightsaber leave such a mark on a person's stance?

They entered the living room, the three sitting down in armchairs.

"Anything else you want to know, Harry?" asked Lily.

Harry leaned back on the armchair. "Everything. But now I'm more interested in what you want to know about me."

"Fair enough," said Lily. "So, how was your life in Ragnos?"

"I was raised by grandmother and the other priests. I learned the ways of the Sith and the Force from them, and became Gepta's apprentice shortly after I became ten," he revealed. "Although I'm one of the priests, I never had the opportunity to invest myself in the actual roles of the Kissai. I dedicate myself to the study of the dark side and its most… exotic techniques, if I can call them that."

"A Sith sorcerer then?"

"I have chosen that path, yes," said Harry. "I never found myself attracted to the lifestyle of the assassins and warriors. I leave that to the Massassi."

"They're the warrior caste, right?" asked Michael.

Harry nodded. "Other than that, I became much immersed in the teachings of the ancient Sith Lords, and as I grew in power, so did my reputation amongst the Sith. Eventually, I entered the Great Temple, and surpassed its guardians, becoming one of the Lords of the Sith. Simple as that."

"And, what are you finding of this world?" asked Lily.

"I don't know yet," he admitted. "I had little to no contact with the world beyond Ragnos. My presence here is the very first time I left the vicinity of the city."

"What are you going to do now?" asked Michael.

"I have no… determined plans, but my main priority right should be to find a suitable apprentice," said Harry. "I am a Sith Lord, and by consequence, Sith Master. But without an apprentice, I am a master of nothing. I need to rectify that."

* * *

When James had decided to apply for a position in the Ministry of Magic, he certainly wasn't expecting for years later to become the leader of the Improper Use of Magic Office. Former schoolmates and even co-workers had been expecting him to join the Aurors, so it was a great surprise when James went for a more… bureaucratic branch of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. And it had been like so for the last four years, ever since his predecessor had retired and he promoted to the position.

Although he was wealthy, the salary he received from the Ministry was also quite comfortable, and while he would never admit it, James was rather enjoying and getting used to his new life, away from Dumbledore and his Order, and far more focused on his family and job. Or at least what remained of it. The void left by Harry's disappearance was always noticeable, and it had been his kidnapping that led to him distancing himself from his former allies. Not that he cut ties with Sirius and Remus, but the rest of the Order was not that important.

Now, he was returning to the estate, knowing that Lily and Michael would already be there. He had apparated to the exterior of the house, right outside the protections. He entered the building, heading directly towards the living room, where Lily would most likely be.

"I'm home!" he shouted.

"No need to shout," replied a feminine voice. "I'm right here."

James turned towards the window, Lily sitting on an armchair near it and drinking one of the liquors they had available.

"Good evening love," said James.

Lily rose her glass in response, a smile on her face, before taking a sip.

"Why are you so happy today?" he asked rather curious. "Did something happen? And where's Michael?"

"He's outside with his brother," she replied.

The last word certainly did not escape James's hearing.

"What? His… brother?" he said, not quite believing it. "Harry's here?"

"Yes," replied the woman. "The two are out there in the gardens."

Lily did not miss the spark of happiness emerging within James, but she still needed to warn him about something.

"Oh, and before you go running there, I suggest you be careful I your words," suggested Lily. "He's no longer the baby you and I knew. His life with the Sith has changed him into something different from Michael."

That did not sound good.

"How so?" he asked worried.

Lily chuckled.

"Remember what I told you about me being raised by the Sith?" she asked.

James nodded in response.

"Let's just say that Harry hasn't inherited my role as the black sheep of the Hord family," she continued. "He's a Sith Lord, so don't expect a heartfelt reunion or something of the sort."

James glanced at the general direction of the gardens, deciding to head there immediately. After all, even though Lily had warned him about what Harry was, he still wanted to meet his son.

* * *

"…and you actually eat that?"

When Lily had taught Michael about certain aspects of Sith culture, it had been merely the basics. Never had she mentioned anything about Sith cuisine. And now that he knew about it, Michael was certain that he wanted to be as far away from a Sith kitchen as possible.

"It's quite delicious," claimed Harry. "Especially when it is warm."

"And where do you get the blood?" asked Michael.

"From my enemies," replied Harry. "When they are dead, there are specific methods of extracting the blood within and processing it into the Bloodsoup. And believe me, nothing tastes better than the warm blood of someone who has been pestering you for years, mixed with a few more ingredients."

"And where did that come from?" asked Michael, a bit nauseated.

"I heard from legends that the Bloodsoup was invented during the age of the ancient Sith Empire, when the Sith encountered a species that could drink the brain of their victims. No idea how, though."

That was even more disgusting. "I think I prefer the Bloodsoup."

"So do I," replied Harry.

Michael did not miss the implications of what Harry had just said, but wisely decided not the ask anything related to that. His disgust was already at high levels.

"Michael!"

The oldest of the twins turned around at the voice of their father, and saw that he was already approaching him.

"Hey dad! Erm…this is…"

James looked at his youngest son, still turned around and looking at the fountain near them.

"Harry."

The Sith Lord turned around, a neutral expression on his face.

"Hello father," he replied.

James was stunned by the similarities between Harry and himself. But despite all that he was feeling now, James could not help but notice that Harry's eyes were not of the green colour he remembered, back when the two twins had been mere infants. Now they were yellow and eerie, a change which unnerved James very much.

Harry also was observing the man who had fathered him, acknowledging the physical resemblances, and wondering if his appearance would become more similar to that of James upon reaching adulthood.

"Michael and I were just discussing the wonders of Sith cuisine," said Harry in a nonchalant manner.

Michael snorted. "Wonders…"

That was odd. From what Lily had told him about the Sith and the warning she gave him, James was expecting a more… ominous and "evil" Harry. Instead, this Harry acted in a seemingly normal manner, although a bit dissonant for his age. Still, this could also be a mask used by Harry in normal situations, and possibly used to confuse and distract opponents of his.

"Your thoughts are fleeing father," said the Sith Lord, attracting James's attention. "But if you want to know the answer to that, the you'll have to discover it yourself."

"You…you read my mind?"

"Not exactly. Minds under emotional turmoil or with a certain lack of concentration are more susceptible to invasion and to have their thoughts and emotions projected. As a trained Force wielder, it is natural for me to capture your thoughts and interpret them. Besides, pure mind reading is rather painful for the victim. I prefer a subtler approach."

James was very much stunned. This was certainly not what he had been expecting. He would be better prepared for the alternative of an insane, evil, and psychopathic Harry instead of this version. At least his actions would be predictable with said traits. Still, growing amongst "wolves" may have led to him developing this personality as a means of survival.

He saw a small smile appearing on Harry's face, yet not one of happiness, instead the opposite. But it disappeared as soon as he saw it. Harry took hold of Michael's shoulder, before looking at James.

"Well, it was good to meet you, but I need to have a private talk with my brother about that school," said the Sith Lord. "Oh, and it was truly good to meet you. I finally know where my looks come from."


	10. Two Brothers

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Star Wars belongs to Disney.

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"Normal speech"

" _Thoughts"_

" **Other Language"**

" _ **Other speech"**_

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_**Chapter 10 – Two Brothers** _

"This thing is beyond repugnant!"

When Harry had asked Michael about Hogwarts, the older twin began to give some sort of speech about the old castle, basically praising the building and most within. But then he had to drag Harry to his room and show him some of his books, leading to Harry opening one with several images of beasts and monsters.

"What? The Erkling?" asked Michael looking at the open book.

"Yes! It's like a failed experiment involving a tree and a starving human," said Harry.

"There are a few in captivity in Hogwarts's greenhouses, but only the older students get to study them," explained Michael. "That one in the picture is a Bavarian Erkling."

"I wonder what would happen if I snapped its nose," spoke Harry in a genuinely curious tone.

"I don't," retorted Michael.

Harry chuckled in amusement before examining the book once more. There were many creatures represented there, the illustrations curiously moving in a repeated loop. Some caught Harry's attention such as the Lethifolds, which if tamed could be used as a highly effective weapon, while others such as werewolves seemed to be result of an ancient Sithspawn experiment.

"And you study these things in Hogwarts? You actually have living versions of these creatures there?" asked the Sith Lord.

Michael shook his head. "Not all of them. Only those who are not harmful to us, the Erklings being part of the exception with a few others. So no, we don't have werewolves at Hogwarts. Except for last year."

"Huh?"

"One of our professors and a family friend was a werewolf," revealed the older twin. "Remus Lupin."

"That's an odd friend to have. And a bit dangerous to have one as a professor as well," commented Harry.

"He is mostly harmless," said Michael. "And if you read the whole entry, you will find out they only turn into savage beasts during the full moon."

"That's kind of pointless, no?" said Harry. "An affliction that only affects someone during the full moon. It certainly sounds like a Sith's failed attempt at humour."

"Why?"

"If mother hasn't told you, then I believe you should know that we Sith, especially alchemists, have the tendency to create creatures by using the dark side of the Force," explained Harry. "And we also use alchemy to alter other beings. Regardless, these creatures are commonly known as Sithspawn. I faced a type of these during my trial a while ago."

"So, you think werewolves might be Sithspawn?" inquired Michael.

"It is possible," replied Harry. "If I got myself close to one I would be able to confirm such a thing. The presence of the dark side within them would be a giveaway."

"Speaking of the dark side… may I ask you something?"

"Shoot," said the Sith.

"Just how strong is the dark side comparted to the light side," asked Michael. "Mum would never give me a clear answer. I want to know your opinion, no matter how biased it may be."

"It depends on how you see things. In terms of offensive power, there is no doubt that the dark side eclipses the light side," affirmed Harry. "However, it cannot be denied that overusing the power of the dark side will have hazardous consequences, no matter how powerful the Force wielder is. If your goal is noble and chivalrous in any manner, and you resort to using dark side to achieve it, then is guaranteed that you will fall deeper than anyone else."

"That's an odd point of view for someone who worships the dark side."

Harry snorted.

"While most Sith would say that the Force is a tool to be used freely, I do not see the Force as they do. While it is a tool, the Force possesses some sort of self-awareness that more than often leads to the end of many upstarts," said the Sith. "A wielder of the dark side must be aware of the dangers that it brings when used carelessly. Think of it as using a knife to cut something but you accidentally get distracted and you soon realize that one of your fingers is no longer attached to your hand."

"But that's your take on the Sith philosophy, right?" asked Michael.

"Indeed. Knowing how the Sith have evolved and survived over the years, I felt the necessity to create a philosophy that is functional to the Sith in our current state," replied Harry. "Over the years we adapted… changed our views to survive the passage of time. We were few at the time of our arrival on this world and our resources limited. To survive, we came to understand that no one could give into their basic urges of power grabbing, and so the ancient Kissai took upon themselves to guide the Sith and shape us into what we are today. I take my philosophy from their teachings, and alter them with my own views."

"But mother said that the Sith still fight amongst themselves."

"Oh, we do. But unlike in the times of the Old Empire, you don't see Kaggaths happening everywhere," said Harry. "Now things are a bit more… subtle. Except when they are not, and even today it isn't unusual to find the corpse of some minor Sith in the back alleys of Ragnos. But enough about the Sith and the Force. You mentioned that there were four… houses in Hogwarts?"

"Yeah. They are basically groups who compete over many things in the school, mostly Quidditch and the House Cup," replied Michael. "I'm in Gryffindor, but…"

"But?" pressed Harry,

"During the sorting, the hat was indecisive about whether I should have been placed in Gryffindor, Slytherin or Ravenclaw."

To Harry, he could not understand the hesitation in his brother's explanation of what happened during his selection.

"So? What about it?"

"Ravenclaw is basically the house for intelligent people, and Slytherin… they're not exactly the most stable bunch," replied the older twin. "I was given a choice, and so I became a Gryffindor."

"That is meaningless to me, brother," said Harry. "What is a Gryffindor and what makes one different from the others?"

"Well… we're kind of… supposed to be brave and noble," replied Michael. "The opposite of Slytherins, basically."

"Ah, so Gryffindors are a bunch of brainless idiots then."

Michael certainly did not seem to be amused.

"Not all of us!" he protested.

"But you still admit that many are," pointed out the Sith.

"Can't deny that," mumbled Michael.

Harry chuckled, focusing once more on Michael's books, until something distracted him.

"Someone is coming," he said.

Moments after the comment, the door of Michael0s bedroom was opened and Lily entered, carrying a box.

"Here's your dress robes Michael," she said, placing the box on the bed.

Harry looked at her with curiosity.

"Dress robes?"

"The Ministry is organizing a formal party and father was invited to attend," said Michael. "Mother and I go as well, and my time is wasted there shaking hands and answering questions about your whereabouts."

"Oh? And where exactly am I?"

"Apparently, you are supposed to be either in Russia or Latvia," replied the older twin. "Mum and dad were never very specific."

Lily left the room, leaving the two boys to their conversation.

"And what about Dumbledore?" asked the Sith.

"He's a very famous and powerful wizard. Defeated the dark wizard Grindelwald decades ago and now he's not just the Headmaster of Hogwarts, but also the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and the Supreme Mugwump of the ICW," answered his twin. "Amongst wizards he is either idolized or hated, and only few people have less extreme opinions of him."

"And what's your opinion of him?"

"He's okay, I guess," said Michael. "But he likes to put his nose where it doesn't belong. That's one of the reasons why dad is no longer in good terms with Dumbledore."

"Is he dangerous?"

"What?" said Michael quite surprised by the question. "If you anger him, I guess. I mean, he _is_ supposed to the most powerful wizard alive. Even he was the only one that Voldemort feared."

"Who?"

Michael kept forgetting that Harry was not very knowledgeable about the wizarding world, but he thought it was funny the fact that his brother had never heard about Voldemort.

"A dark wizard who waged war on us years ago," explained Michael. "He was one of those blood supremacists, trying to kill all the muggles and those whose blood was not 'pure'. But he was defeated, and is no longer around… mostly."

"What happened?"

"You did."

Harry's eyebrow was raised. "Explain."

"Voldemort attacked us, and tried to kill us two," revealed Michael. "He went for you first, and when he tried to kill you, his curse backfired and he was hit instead. Mum and dad say his body was destroyed by the curse, and the only thing he managed to do to you was that scar on your forehead."

So, that was where the damned mark came from. His grandmother had never been very specific about its origins, simply saying someone had tried to attack him and failed.

"In a few hours, everyone knew what had happened, and people began to hail you as the Boy-Who-Lived, the hero who saved the wizarding world. However, while mum and dad were recovering from the attack, you were taken away by the Sith, and I'm sure you know the rest."

Harry could not help it, and began to laugh. That little bit of information was just hilarious to him. He was a hero to the wizards. The very thought was surreal and disturbing. Nevertheless, it was very useful as well.

And Michael did not miss the ominous smile on his brother's face.


	11. The Gathering of Wizards

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Star Wars belongs to Disney.

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"Normal speech"

" _Thoughts"_

" **Other Language"**

" _ **Other speech"**_

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_**Chapter 11 – The Gathering of Wizards** _

At the offering of his parents, Harry remained in the estate for quite a few days, observing their patterns and studying the society of wizards. A few times he offered to spar against his brother in lightsabre combat, but Lily was against it. She claimed that her training of Michael was not as advanced as what Harry had been taught, and it would be dangerous for him to stand in battle, even if a mock one, against a Sith Lord.

Michael was disappointed he could not duel against his brother, but Harry seemed to be unfazed by it. Instead, he offered to train Michael in proper lightsabre combat, and although Lily seemed to be reluctant to allow it, she eventually allowed Harry to do it. As such, his first days were spent on the gardens of the estate, a red blade clashing against a silver one in light combat. The Sith Lord first needed to analyse the style of his student, and only then would he be able to teach something regarding lightsaber combat to his brother.

He soon came to learn that despite the training that Lily had given him, his older brother was very much a newbie on the art of lightsaber combat. What exactly was their mother thinking when she had trained Michael? Nevertheless, he still managed to teach the slightly older boy a few things he had learned from his own training, mostly basic stuff.

In the meantime, Harry also had the opportunity to study the holocrons he had acquired from Narmer's tomb, and while he was a bit stunned by the ancient Sith language spoken by the holocrons, he quickly managed to translate the words to the modern Sith language. And the information within them… it was marvellous. He had not expected to find such information within the holocrons, the rituals described within having been designed by the ancient Dark Lord himself.

Harry could only cackle upon realizing fully what Narmer had created and how he could use such rituals to his advantage. They would further his dreams of empire, and more than that. However, the eve of a special day soon arrived, and Harry began to make plans.

"I assume you're all going to that…party," he said.

James nodded, while reading the Daily Prophet. "Yes. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if I could go with you," said Harry.

James attention was immediately shifted from the newspaper to Harry, and both him and Lily shared a glance.

"Well… the invitation does mention the 'Potter family', so technically you are invited as well," said his father. "However, I don't think you suddenly appearing there is a good idea."

"Oh? It that because of the whole Boy-Who-Lived thing?" he asked, surprising James and Lily. Apparently they though he was still ignorant about that little bit of information. "You don't need to concern yourselves with that. Michael told me all about it."

"We thought you didn't knew," said Lily. "But still, when they learn who you are, you will be mobbed by… fans."

"I am more than prepared to deal with both fanatics and politicians," said the Sith Lord. "Were you even paying attention to all the background bickering during your time in the Academy?"

"Not really," said Lily in a nonchalant way. "I had other things on my mind."

"Hogwarts?"

"Exactly," replied the former Sith. "So, are you certain that you want to do?"

Harry simply smiled. "Of course."

The three Potters could only wonder what exactly was going on inside Harry mind.

* * *

**Ministry of Magic, London, England (U.K.)**

At the next day's evening, the atrium of the Ministry of Magic was heavily changed. It was filled with many tables and devoid of its usual decorations, having been altered to fit the event. Quite a few wizards had already arrived, amongst them Cornelius Fudge and Albus Dumbledore. Amongst those present were also some of the most infamous families of the British wizarding world, such as the Blacks, the Malfoys, the Notts, and many others. Other families with a less tarnished reputation were also present, such as the Bones and the Abbotts.

If one was to read a certain work by Cantankerous Nott, they would realize that most of the Sacred Twenty-Eight were present in this gathering, excluding those who had become extinct or held a rather low reputation amongst the wizard community, such as the Weasleys. The gathering was basically about power, and no matter their allegiance, the families present held at least a rather considerable amount of it.

A rather strange tradition amongst the British wizards was that of the so called "noble houses", the clear majority having nothing of noble in them. The wealthy and powerful pure-blood families of the medieval and early renaissance began to assume something which could be called a "counterfeit title", known amongst many as the "Lord of the Family" status, attributed by the Wizard's Council, elevating the family to "noble" status. Such a thing came with generous donations, but if fell out of use by the time of the Ministry proper.

Of course, the monarchies of the British Isles had not given permission for such a thing to be done, yet they were oblivious to it. In fact, a story regarding a certain Lucius Malfoy who lived in the sixteenth century arose when apparently, he fought for the title of "Lord of the Family" against his elder brother, leading to two so-called "Lord Malfoy" walking in the walls of the Ministry of Magic, when it was still located in the outskirts of London.

However, those rare and few wizard families which held true noble blood, such as the currently extinct Irvings of Inverness, who rose to prominence as a muggle clan which served the King of Scots and whose patriarch was awarded with the title of Earl of Inverness, one of his descendants becoming a Duke, loved to sneer at the false nobles of the wizarding world. Yet one day the heir of one of the Irving patriarchs unknowingly married a witch, and the rest is history. The last of the Irvings was a woman named Elizabeth, who married Nicholas Potter, founder of the single surviving branch of the family. As such, James Potter was the current Duke of Inverness, making him one of the few to have actual noble blood. Yet the Potter family also later inherited another peerage with Constantine Potter's mother, one Mary de Bohun, Duchess of Hereford.

All this was new knowledge to Harry, who made sure to research his paternal line during his time in the manor. He had no reasons to neglect the history of his father's lineage, and ended up being rather pleased with it. More due to the prestige than anything else. It was a trait amongst the Sith, to draw prestige from ancient bloodlines, and he was part of one of the most prestigious ones in the Sith remnant. After all, few had a legitimate and direct connection to an ancient Dark Lord of the Sith.

So, if the wizards gave too much thought about these matters, then he would be rather pleased to participate in their little "game". And when he arrived with his parents and brother to the atrium of the Ministry, using the Floo Network, he made sure to assume a rather pompous behaviour, much to the amusement of his brother.

"You don't need to do that," whispered Michael.

"I know," replied the Sith. "But it's fun."

Michael rolled his eyes, and together with Harry and their parents, they approached an area with a rather well attired man with a white coloured wig. As they got closer, he placed the tip of his wand on his neck, and shouted, his voice being echoing in the entire atrium.

"Presenting His Grace The Duke of Inverness and Hereford, accompanied by family."

Many turned towards the newcomers, quickly noticing the fourth addition. In fact, it had been the announcer who had first noticed the faint scar on Harry's forehead, quickly realizing who he was, and paling the next second. Some narrowed their eyes to see better who exactly was next to the three Potters, but quickly in front of the Potters was both Minister Fudge and Albus Dumbledore, both sporting expressions of incredulousness.

"Y-Your Grace," managed Fudge. "I-Is that…?"

James seemed to be unimpressed, and so was Harry. This bumbling fool was the leader of the British Wizarding World. Amongst the Sith he would already be dead and his place taken by another.

"My son, Harry," replied James in a calm and formal manner. "Is there a problem?"

Fudge seemed to have lost his ability to speak, his mouth resembling that of a fish. Luckily, it was Dumbledore who managed to "save" the moment.

"Forgive us James, but we were not expecting Harry's sudden appearance," said the aged headmaster. "This is a shock to all of us."

"Really? As if that wasn't obvious enough by your reactions," said Harry. "Your Minister seems to be imitating a fish! For first impressions, you seem to be… lacking."

Fudge wisely stopped his impression of a fish, and attempted to take control of the situation.

"I apologize, Mr. Potter," said Fudge. "I must say, it is an honour to finally meet you!"

Harry smiled. "I am sure it is," he said, the smile not reaching his eyes.

"May we know where you have been during these last few years?" asked Fudge.

This time, Harry's smile was real, but not the warm and kind type of smile. And it took one word for Fudge's composure to collapse once more.

"Sith."

The man seemed to choke on his own saliva, coughing heavily several times before managing to recover from his affliction.

"Merlin's robes, the treaty!" nearly shouted the Minister right after.

At that Harry chuckled, James groaning at the same time in exasperation.

It was certainly going to be along night.

* * *

When all was calmed down, and Harry finally mobbed by people wanting to thank him, he retired to a secluded section of the atrium with his brother, who began to indulge him on who were those present in the gathering.

"Who's the woman with the weird hat?" he asked.

"That Augusta Longbottom," replied his older twin. "One of my classmates is her grandson. I know from Neville that she's a very strict woman."

"Why is she were and not his parents?" he asked.

"They were attacked by Voldemort's followers after you defeated him," explained Michael. "They tortured them until they became mad. Now, they're in St. Mungos."

"And the blond ones?"

"Those are the Malfoys," said Michael with clear disgust. "Blood-supremacists, all of them. Lucius Malfoy bought his way out of Azkaban after Voldemort's defeat, and is now a… unofficial advisor to the Minister."

"Okay. Who's that next to the buffet?" he asked.

"Which one?" said Michael, looking at the several buffet tables.

"The boy with the brown hair spiked in the front."

"That's Theodore Nott," replied Michael. "His father is the Marquess of Averdale. He's not exactly a git like Malfoy, and is quite sociable when you manage to catch him during one of his good days. At Hogwarts he's in Slytherin."

"And who is approaching the table where he is?" asked Harry.

"Amelia Bones," he said. "She the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and dad's superior. Her niece is in my year, a Hufflepuff."

Harry nodded, but he was far more focused on something else. He had felt a strong presence in the Force, inside the atrium, and he quickly began to wonder where it came from. Obviously enough, he would not find out if he remained where he was.

"Well, I'm getting a bit hungry," said Harry. "Let's see what's on the tables."

Michael shrugged. "Sure."

The two boys headed towards the buffet tables, mostly filled with snacks. It seemed that the actual feast had yet to come. Harry took hold of a meat pie, and began to take small bites out of the pastry.

* * *

There was something clearly wrong with Harry Potter. That was without a doubt the first conclusion that Albus Dumbledore had reached upon seeing the face of the Potter's youngest child. It was completely normal, except for a small part.

The eyes.

He remembered very well that Harry Potter's eyes were green, like those of his mother, but something had clearly changed. His eyes were now of a yellow that transmitted clear maliciousness, no matter how innocent their owner seemed to be. From all he knew, Harry's association with a cult such as the Sith was possibly one of the reasons for such a change.

He, much like the majority of wizardkind, knew that the somewhat reclusive Sith practiced ancient, arcane, and dark magics, far more dangerous and powerful that the magic they used. Some even suggested that the magic of the Sith was completely unrelated to that of wizards, but there was no clear conclusion. Not even Lily, a former Sith herself, seemed to hold the answers they sought to unveil the mystery of the Sith.

Voldemort had been greatly interested in them, back during his rise to power, but from what he knew, the Sith had rejected him, and for some reason the dark wizard did not attempt to retaliate against them. And yet he was now in a room with one of the Sith, the saviour of the Wizarding World, no less.

The Headmaster of Hogwarts could only wonder what would come out of this.


	12. Father and Son

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Star Wars belongs to Disney.

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"Normal speech"

" _Thoughts"_

" **Other Language"**

" _ **Other speech"**_

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_**Chapter 12 – Father and Son** _

**Ministry of Magic, London, England (U.K.)**

Harry could blame himself later for such a failing, but he was getting heavily distracted from his goals by the meat pies. He kept eating one after another, finding the things so damned delicious to stop. Nevertheless, even with this distraction, he could do many things from his current position, all without needing to lift a finger. The power of the Force was magnificent when unleashed by the will of the dark side, but even he wasn't privy to its greatest secrets. However, that little restriction did not apply to the many people around him. They were, for all intents and purposes, books, ready to be opened and their secrets eager to be revealed to him.

These wizards were so careless with their mental safety, it was stunning how their thought were not basically floating around outside their heads. This of course was an exaggeration and Harry knew that, but still, they should be at least a bit more careful with their minds. There were exceptions amongst those present, such as Dumbledore, his mother, and his brother (to a certain extent), but the rest was very open to him.

"Enjoying the party?"

The Sith Lord turned around, his father waiting for an answer.

"I would not say I am 'enjoying' it, but to the moment I have found nothing unpleasant," replied Harry. "I am far more interested in the secrets that lurk amongst these people."

"Well, then make yourself at home," spoke James. "If there is something that isn't lacking here is secrets. The problem is, how exactly are you going to uncover them?"

"I have my ways father, nothing too eccentric," claimed Harry. "Care to give me a suggestion?"

James looked around, finding someone for his son to target.

"Say… what about Augusta Longbottom?"

Harry recognized her as the woman with the strange hat, and immediately looked at the woman who was rather distracted in a conversation with other women. Using the Force, he reached out towards her mind and observed the thoughts within.

"Most of her thoughts are about useless topics, but on the personal level, there is a great focus on her grandson," he said. "Yet most of it is disappointment and a missing link to her… son."

"Neville's parents were attacked by Death Eaters and are now in St. Mungos. According to your brother, Neville's grandmother likes to compare him to his father quite a lot," said James.

"You knew them?"

"We fought on the same side against Voldemort, but I can't say we were close," clarified his father. "At best we were acquaintances."

"And is Neville one of Michael's school friends?"

"Not that I know. Your brother is a… unconventional Gryffindor," said James. "After an incident with a Weasley he began to detach himself from his housemates and sought friends on other houses."

Harry nodded, deciding to think about that later. Or perhaps not. Far important things could arise in the meantime. But now he had minds to probe.

"Give me another one," he said, waiting for his father's second suggestion.

"Lucius Malfoy."

So, his father wanted him to look at the mind of the blood-purist and Voldemort sympathiser… Not a problem.

"This one is going to be a bit… rough," declared Harry.

Considering that he was about to rip out the knowledge of Malfoy's mind, instead of the subtle invasion which he had performed on Madam Longbottom, a warning to James would be enough. Not to mention that Lucius was very likely a dark wizard, which meant he was supposed to have at least a reasonable amount of normal and dark magical knowledge within him. There was no flourishing of hands or flashy effects by the usage of this Force ability, but the sight of Lucius Malfoy clutching his head and screaming in pain was enough for James Potter to know that his son was already acting.

The joyful chuckle that came from Harry was also enough for James to know that his youngest child had found something worthwhile inside Malfoy's mind.

"Oh, this is magnificent," said the young Sith. "You know father, I would suggest that the next time your ministry does a search at Malfoy's home, they look beneath the rug in their drawing room. I believe that you will find what's below to be enlightening."

"I'm sure we will. However, I'm also sure that your joy was not just because of whatever is under Malfoy' rug. What else did you discover?"

Harry looked at his father with a rather pleased and rather smug smile.

"Let's just say I saved myself seven years of education at Hogwarts," affirmed the Sith. "I have to contemplate on the meaning of many of these things, but I'll eventually sort these things out. Too much theory and little practice."

Even James was now surprised.

"You ripped seven years worth of knowledge out of Malfoy's mind?" he whispered in disbelief.

Harry shrugged. "The dark side of the Force allows these things. Also, if Malfoy manages to make it out of his current state without any sort of permanent and heavy mental damage, then I will be truly amazed."

What he discovered regarding the strange magical abilities of wizards was fascinating. Several of their spells mirrored some Force abilities, albeit limited to a certain degree. From what he already knew and had seen, wizards required to use wands in order to cast their spells, but those proficient in their magical arts could forgo the usage of said wands, but only to a certain extent. That by itself made their usage of spells similar to the way Force wielders could use the Force, and perhaps established a link of sorts. Perhaps magic was one of the many minor aspects of the Force, having been revealed to the wizards of Earth alone, and now to the Sith as well.

There could be some use in this magic of theirs, that is, if he could use it as well. Malfoy's mind also revealed the existence of anomalies amongst wizardkind known as squibs, so there was always the possibility of him being one. If so, then it mattered little for he already had the Force.

"Care to give me any other suggestion?"

"No need to," said James. "I've seen enough of what you can do."

Harry chuckled. "Oh, you've seen nothing father. There is more to the dark side of the Force than just simple mental intrusions."

"Have you forgotten who I'm married to?" asked his father. "I've seen many of your Force abilities before, from both your mother and brother."

"Feeling left out?"

"I did once," admitted James. "But I got used to it."

As James spoke, Harry felt the approach of his mother and brother through the Force.

"So Harry… did you have anything to do with what happened to Malfoy over there?" asked his brother.

"Is it too obvious?" he asked amused.

"To them no, to us yes," affirmed his mother. "But try to lay low for now. Otherwise people will suspect you."

The Sith Lord chuckled softly in response.

"Don't worry mother. I have no intention of doing anything of the sort again here," he claimed. "That is, unless a great opportunity arises, which I doubt. Besides, I have my sights set on something completely different."

"What?" asked Michael.

"None of your business," declared Harry. "For now at least. Now, I think I'll roam around for a while. See you soon."

And so, he departed from that area, leaving behind a group of confused and curious Potters.


	13. The Apprentice

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Star Wars belongs to Disney.

* * *

"Normal speech"

" _Thoughts"_

" **Other Language"**

" _ **Other speech"**_

* * *

_ **Chapter 13 – The Apprentice** _

In the hierarchy of traditional Sith society, Harry was one of the Kissai, the priestly caste of the Sith and the highest amongst the other castes. But the addition of being a Sith Lord also increased his standing amongst the Sith, as well as his responsibilities. As a Kissai, he was supposed to spread the teachings of the Sith to others, and as a Sith Lord he was supposed to get an apprentice to impart his own personal knowledge. It seemed that his presence in the Ministry of Magic was proving to be rather useful, as he could feel the presence of an untrained Force-sensitive amongst those present. He knew exactly who it was, and this whole thing was proving to be an excellent opportunity to further his secondary goals. His primary ones required a bit of extensive work and could not be done by himself alone.

Nevertheless, here he was, ready to approach this promising prospect to the position of Sith apprentice, and yet there were several questions manifesting inside his head. Why exactly had this person been utterly ignored by his mother and brother? Could they have not sensed the affinity to the Force within him? Or perhaps they knew of it and decided to ignore it.

" _Well, it's their loss anyway,"_ thought Harry.

But as he made his way towards his target, Harry's path was blocked by a wizard which he recognized from before, and from the mind of Lucius Malfoy.

"You're Harry Potter right," said the blond wizard extending his hand in greeting. "I am Draco Malfoy, future Lord of the Malfoy family."

He was completely unimpressed by the pompousness of this human fool. The thoughts of this wizard were wild and untamed, many filled with self-importance and the type of uncontrolled arrogance which would have caused this one a premature death had he been amongst the Sith. There were other bits of collateral information which interested him, but were of little critical importance.

"I do not remember allowing you to approach me," said the Sith. "Besides, shouldn't you be near your father. He seems to be… unwell."

The boy seemed to make a semi-impression of a fish, before a new voice from the side joined the conversation.

"He wants you to go away Draco," said the clearly male voice. "I wouldn't want to cross the Sith, especially one of their Lords."

Malfoy huffed, and walked somewhere else. Harry turned towards the source of the voice.

"Theodore Nott, am I correct?" he asked. "The son of the Marquess of Averdale?"

The boy nodded. "Yes, erm… what should I call you? Harry, Dramath… Potter, Hord?"

"Dramath," was the answer.

He could sense the shadowed nervousness behind this seemingly normal behaviour of Theodore's. It seemed that the Sith were widely infamous amongst those who remembered they existed. It reached the point where they were so little discussed that many wizards simply were oblivious to the existence of both the Sith and the treaty amongst their two societies.

"So, Lord Dramath, what exactly do you want from me?" asked Theodore bluntly.

Harry's eyebrow rose in amusement and curiosity. "What makes you presume that I want something from you?"

"Your would have dismissed me just like Malfoy," replied the Hogwarts student. "And I saw you heading towards me before he approached you."

"Indeed," said the Sith Lord approaching Nott. "You, Theodore Nott, have gathered my interest."

Nott silently gulped. Was that supposed to be good or bad?

"Erm… why?" he asked worried.

"Tell me something first. What do you know of the Sith?"

Theodore shrugged. "As much as everyone else. You're some sort of… ancient hidden society which, according to many, practices dark magics."

"A simple but flawed explanation. We are indeed a society, but at the same time we are also a religious order which follows a very specific philosophy based on an interpretation of the Code of the Sith," explained Harry. "The two are heavily connected, as one helped define the other. Much of our ancient history is kept from wizardkind, and as such you hold very little knowledge of what we truly are. But the Sith Order specifically is composed solely of Force-sensitives, that is, individuals which are capable of wielding the Force."

"The Force?" asked Nott, never having heard of it.

"It is a binding power that exists all around us, within every living thing," he revealed. "It differs from your magic in that aspect, but it is equal in that only a few can use it. However, this is reversed in some species, where the amount of Force-sensitives outnumbers those unable to use the Force. An example is the Sith."

"The Sith? But you look…"

"Human? The use of Sith alchemy makes many wonders, and hiding my true appearance is one of them," he said. "The Sith part in maternal on my case, if you're wondering."

"So your brother and mother are also... like you."

"I assume they have grown attacked to their physical illusion," spoke Harry. "Mine is… for the moment, temporary. It might prove itself more useful in the future."

"So how do you look like?"

"There is little difference. My skin is red and I have two tendrils on my face, near the mouth," revealed the Sith Lord. "The Sith are what you call humanoids by nature, but the purity of our blood also determines the amount of human characteristics on our bodies."

That was a bit confusing for Theodore. "How exactly?"

"Me for example. My father is a human, and my mother is a Sith. However, the Sith genes are the dominant within me," tried to explain Harry. "As such, amongst the Sith I am considered a Sith Pureblood."

Coming from a wizard pure-blooded family and being a pure-blood wizard himself, Theodore was very familiar with concepts of purity of blood and things of the sort. However, he had been unaware of the fact that the Sith were also a separate species from the humans. Other wizards however, were not oblivious to that little fact.

"Genes?" asked the wizard, confused with such terms.

"Things which carry certain characteristics which are transferred from parents to their children, and so forth," said Harry. "This is not exactly the best explanation, but for now it is enough."

"Okay, but what exactly do you want?"

"The Force is strong in you Theodore," revealed Harry. "I have no idea why either my mother or brother never approached you on that matter, as they too are Force wielders, but I can teach you to harness a power even greater than your magic."

This was new and exciting to the young Slytherin. The reputation of the Sith was great amongst his community, and they were both feared and revered by many wizards across history. For him to be approached by a Sith Lord and be given the opportunity of becoming one of the Sith… it was something many power-hungry wizards would kill for. Even Voldemort had tried to approach them and was sent away.

"But… I will be at Hogwarts for several months!" said Theodore remembering that unfortunate aspect of things. "I can't be trained that way."

The Sith Lord chuckled. "Don't worry about that. I'll solve that in the next few minutes. So, are you willing to pledge yourself as my apprentice?"

The few seconds of silence that followed were soon broken, by the prospect.

"Yes, Lord Dramath," decided Theodore, sealing his future. "I am."

The pleased smile on the Sith's face was heavily reflected on his corrupted yellow eyes.

"Good. I'll have to speak with Fudge about something," he said. "I'll return to you in a moment, to speak more about your training."

Nott nodded. "Yes, my Lord."

Harry looked around, trying to spot the Minister for Magic, eventually seeing him speaking with someone. He quickly made his way towards the man, adopting a rather polite and pleasant posture.

"Minister Fudge," he said approaching the man. "I would speak with you."

"Ah, erm… Lord Dramath, of course," said the man, before turning to the man he was talking to. "We'll have to speak about this later Shacklebolt."

"No problem Minister," replied Shacklebolt, who then left towards one of the tables.

"Minister, I was wondering if it would be possible for me to have access to the school of Hogwarts," said Harry. "There are several things I wish to learn about your society, and access to a prestigious centre of education where I can observe closely many wizards will certainly help my research."

"Well that certainly is an odd request, but I believe that can be arranged," said Fudge. After all, this was Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived and one of the Sith Lords. It would be best to keep him pleased.

The pleased smile in Harry's face was good enough to both relief and creep out Fudge.

"Thank you Minister," said the Sith Lord. "This will certainly help my goals."

And it would be more than Fudge could imagine.


	14. The Lord of the North

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Star Wars belongs to Disney.

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"Normal speech"

" _Thoughts"_

" **Other Language"**

" _ **Other speech"**_

* * *

_**Chapter 14 – The Lord of the North** _

**Sith Sanctum, Perth, Scotland (U.K.)**

Harry had many goals, but to achieve some of them he required certain… things. To this end, he first needed information about a certain location. And who better than the ruler of the Sith community in the northern area of Scotland to have that which he sought. To discover the hidden Sith Sanctum, the heart of the community in that area, was rather easy. The presence of the dark side and the concentration of dark siders basically created a beacon for him to follow.

The Sith Sanctum was deep beneath the ground, undisturbed by the non-Sith population above. Most Sith which resided on Scotland were humans, the percentage of Pureblood being rather low, so it was no surprise for Harry to discover that the Sith Lord which ruled over this area was a human.

And as he entered the Sanctum fully cloaked, he sought the temple, which would be the best place to find the whereabouts of this Sith Lord. The priests inside meditated on the dark side, while others instructed other Sith in their ways. He approached one of them, making sure to have his presence known.

"Priest, I come for information," he said to the human man.

"And who exactly are you?" asked the man unimpressed.

"Lord Dramath Hord," he answered, surprising the man. "Now, will you answer my questions, or do I have to seek someone else?"

"Of course not my Lord," replied the man, sensing the potency of the dark side within Harry. "What do you wish to know?"

"The name and location of who rules this area," he demanded.

"The one you seek is the Sith Lord Cordelia Rothes," answered the Sith priest. "She has an estate near the city above, somewhere to the east. You can't miss it."

Harry simply nodded.

"We shall see."

* * *

**Cordelia Rothes's Estate, Perth, Scotland (U.K.)**

Harry soon came to know that the priest's words were real, as right outside the city stood the residence of Cordelia Rothes. He was unsure of what to expect, considering that he had never been in territory belonging to a Sith Lord other than Gepta. Her house was not very large, but the whole architecture of the place meant that Rothes was, at least, rather wealthy. How much, was yet to be discovered by Harry. The entrance to the estate was rather unprotected, something which the Sith Lord found very curious. It either meant that the owner neglected her own safety, or she was very well capable of fending off any trespassers.

He approached the main building's door, and pressed the doorbell. He waited for a while, before the door was opened, and an old man came out, his face expressing suspicion.

"Who are you?" asked the man. "And what do you want?"

"I come seeking Cordelia Rothes," answered Harry.

The man certainly did not seem to be convinced.

"And who seeks the master?"

"Dramath Hord," said Harry, exposing his hidden lightsaber. "I am searching for information your master may have."

The man certainly recognized the lightsaber, as his face assumed an expression of surprise.

"Wait here," he said before entering the house and shutting the door behind him.

Harry did so, and remained outside for a while, waiting for the old man to return. Eventually, the door was opened again, attracting the attention of Harry who had been gazing at the landscape.

"Follow me," said the old man.

Harry entered the house, following the old man.

They went towards the back of the house, and Harry had to admit he was impressed by the gardens which decorated the exterior of the manor. He continued to follow the man until he reached a large greenhouse.

"The master is inside," he said. "Do watch out for the plants. They dislike visitors."

Harry nodded before entering the greenhouse. The temperature inside was rather warm and the general atmosphere was very moist. Yet there was an odd smell in the air… a ominous mixture of pleasant and putrid, and Harry was not sure of what to make of that.

He walked further into the greenhouse, observing the flora within. In general, they seemed to be rather harmless, but from the old man's warning and Harry's own experience with Sith Lords and their experiments, he was certain that they were anything but harmless. At least the majority.

"You have stumbled into dangerous territory little lord."

Harry turned towards the source of the voice, and saw that in the corridor next to the one where he was, stood an old woman taking care of what resembled a pitcher plant.

"Lord Cordelia Rothes, I presume," said Harry approaching her.

"You presume correctly," replied Rothes. "Thomas informed me that you came here seeking information."

Harry assumed that Thomas had been the old man from before.

"Yes," he replied.

"And what exactly do you seek to know?"

"The whereabouts of an old and abandoned Sith temple," he answered. "Records in Ragnos mention it was located somewhere in the area of Scotland, but gave no direct location."

Cordelia chuckled.

"I believe I know which temple you seek. But information is not something freely given," she declared. "Even to you, Lord Dramath."

Harry had been expecting that. It was no surprise she would want something in return.

"Then what do you want?" he asked.

Rothes looked at him, almost as if analysing him before taking a decision. "Follow me."

Harry did so, following the female Sith Lord until the two reached an area of the greenhouse with a rather unpleasant feature. Struck to what seemed to be a tree trunk, was a decomposed human body, many vegetal features sprouting from its exposed extremities. It was a disgusting image, and Harry wondered why exactly Cordelia was showing this to him.

"What you see is one of many spies and assassins which have tried to reach me, this one having been somewhat successful," stated Rothes. "Not fully though, as you can see. The plants keep him alive, in a state of full consciousness and perpetual pain."

Harry was both impressed and disgusted. This was a rather strange but indeed impressive display of Sith alchemy and magic.

"Your invention?" he asked.

"Yes. The plants use him as a source of nutrients. Of course, they need him alive to produce more," she replied. "Nevertheless, this former assassin worked for my greatest adversary, specifically the ruler of the southern half of Scotland."

"So you're at… war or something?" he asked.

"Officially no. You might say this is the lowest point in our marriage."

That had been something Harry was not expecting.

"Wait, so we are talking about your husband?" he asked in surprise.

She nodded. "Malcolm and I worked together one, but divergences quickly destroyed our alliance. I have no illusions of immortality, and I know perfectly that our children and grandchildren will inherit both of our empires. However, since Malcolm's mental health is severely damaged, many of his close followers have taken advantage of this situation to assume regency over my husband's dominions."

"So you want him eliminated to take over directly," said Harry.

"Yes," she replied. "Once my husband is gone, I can quickly take over his holdings and positions, both amongst the Sith and outside. That way, none of his subordinates will be able to divide the south of Scotland amongst themselves."

Harry began to wonder a few things about this plan of Rothes.

"I haven't been the only one you have charged with this mission, have I?" he asked.

"Not at all. I have sent many assassins after my husband, but all have failed in accomplishing anything," she confirmed. "However, I can assume that the protégé of the Sith'ari can succeed where they have failed. After all, were not you the one who succeeded in surviving the trials of the Great Temple? Killing a Sith Lord should be simple enough for you."

Perhaps. But Harry still required more information about his target.

"And where exactly is your husband?" he asked. "Is there anything I should know about his powers?"

"Malcolm is a paranoid old man. He took refuge inside a stronghold built beneath his house, protected by several warrior and other agents of his," she said. "He is powerful in the arts of illusion, so do try to be cautious when you enter his hideout. My butler will provide you with the location of his fortress."

"I shall go then," he said.

"Bring me proof of his defeat," Cornelia spoke. "A trophy of his death. And then, I will give to you the location of the Sith temple."

Harry nodded, before leaving the greenhouse. According to Rothes, that old man from before would have the information he required.

It was time to kill a Sith Lord.

* * *

_**The Holocron:** _

**Cordelia Rothes** – Known by both her followers and enemies as the Lord of the North, she is a human female Sith Lord who rules over the northern area of Scotland. Very skilled in the art of Sith alchemy, Rothes is known for creating deadly Sithspawn by using common plants as her sole subjects.

 **Malcolm Rothes** – A Sith Lord known amongst the British Sith as the Lord of the South, he is the husband of Cordelia Rothes and one of the least known members of the Sith Council. He vanished from public years ago due to his debilitating health, and works only through his agents.


	15. The Lord of the South

_** Chapter 15 – The Lord of the South   
** _

**Scotland (U.K.)**

Unlike many of his fellow Sith Lords, Harry had no problem at all with what they called "mercenary work" to another Sith Lord. Yet there was a problem here. It did not matter if he was the former apprentice of the Sith Overlord or a Sith Lord himself, as he still had to respect the general hierarchy of the scattered Sith states. And considering where he was, Cordelia Rothes was above him in the power pyramid. If he travelled a bit to the south, then she was replaced by her husband Malcolm.

Yet he knew little about these Rothes, and it would do him no good to be lacking in information. From the depths of his robes, he took out a small device, and upon pressing a few buttons, a flickering image began to appear, soon becoming a stable hologram.

" **Ah, Dramath. Why have you contacted me?"** asked Shaar Krev.

" **Grandmother, I need information about the Rothes family,"** he requested.

Even as a small hologram, Harry could feel the piercing state of his grandmother.

" **Just what have you gotten yourself into**?" she asked. **"Don't answer. Just be extremely careful when dealing with them. There is a reason why the Rothes have dominated the Sith of the north of Britain for the last three centuries."**

" **So, they are powerful."**

" **Enough that many have held seats in the Sith Council, and one of them held the title of Sith Overlord for nearly half a century,"** replied his grandmother. **"Old Malcolm holds a seat in the Council today, but his growing paranoia and madness have prevented him to attend many meetings. As such, his seat is usually empty. And this civil war between him and his wife has not been beneficial to him at all. Many of his followers defected to Cordelia, crippling his power base. And their children have decided not to take any side in this confrontation."**

Well, that explained why he had never heard of Malcolm Rothes before. The man basically neglected one of the most coveted positions in the Sith confederation.

" **And what about his wife?"**

Shaar chuckled. **"Oh, old Cordelia might as well have been a blood member of the Rothes family. She blends perfectly amongst them. But how did you get involved with them?"**

Harry lowered his voice just in case. **"I need something from Cordelia, so in exchange for what I want, she asked me to… put an end to the marriage."**

" **I see,"** was his grandmother's reply. **"I assume you are aware that even for a madman, Malcolm Rothes is a powerful Sith on his own right. This is not some lowly acolyte you will be engaging, but a member of the Sith council who is very likely surrounded by his most powerful and loyal followers. What Cordelia asks of you is no easy task, but if you succeed, not only will you have acquired a great ally in Cordelia, but also proven your own power amongst the Lords of the Sith. Be mindful that I know what your ambitions are Dramath, and I very well wish for you to succeed. This is an excellent opportunity to deal with the doubts of many."**

Harry nodded, before thinking about this whole issue and other consequences that this could have.

" **In the event of Malcolm's death, who would replace him on the Council?"** asked the young Sith.

" **That utterly depends on Gepta. It's very likely that the seat will be given to Cordelia, as to avoid any type of power vacuum,"** answered Shaar. **"There is no doubt that the enemies of the Rothes family will attempt to use his death as an opportunity to seize power, success being a very low possibility."**

So that meant that Cordelia was not only using him to establish dominion over the north of Britain, but also to acquire a seat on the Sith Council. Perhaps this whole mess could also be useful to him in another way.

" **I see. I'll travel now to Rothes's stronghold,"** he said to his grandmother. **"We'll speak soon."**

The hologram of his grandmother nodded.

" **Very well,"** said Shaar. **"Go Dramath, and may the Force serve you well."**

* * *

**Woodgrove Avenue, Dumfries, Scotland (U.K.)**

The direction given to him by Cordelia's butler had been very precise. He found it strange that the stronghold of Malcolm was in a seemingly peaceful town in the south of Scotland. Truly, he had been expecting him to be hiding in Glasgow or another city. To make matters even stranger, the hideout was located beneath a seemingly innocent house in one of the town's neighbourhoods. It was evening and the sky had already darkened, giving Harry far greater freedom of movement. His cloaked form silently walked towards the house which held the entrance to the underground fortress, his eyes falling on the main window.

He tried to see if there was anyone inside, but the lack of lighting made him assume that the house proper was empty. He walked towards the door, opening it through the Force and entering a very small hall with stairs to the upper floor. Closing the door behind him, Harry ignited his lightsaber, the red blade being his sole source of light now. His attention was pulled towards a small door under the stairs, apparently giving entrance to some sort of cupboard. He tried to open it, but it was sealed shut.

" _Only one solution for this,"_ he thought.

He brought the tip of his lightsaber to the lock, damaging it enough to allow him to open the door. To his non-existent surprise, a metallic door stood behind the door of the cupboard, a keypad on it. Lacking any combination to open the door properly, Harry did what any lightsaber wielder would do, and so he carved out his own path by cutting out part of the metal door, revealing a small platform with another keypad, this one with commands to lower the lift.

Clicking the device, Harry prepared himself for any kind of trap or sudden opponents down there. And as the lift reached its destination, Harry was met with a small chamber with an unremarkable individual behind what looked like a desk.

"Huh?" said the man upon noticing that there was a newcomer. "Wha-"

A sudden pressure on the man's throat quickly silenced him, and being lifted from the chair he sat on, he was pulled towards Harry and an ignited lightsaber. In instants, the man was impaled upon the red blade, his suspended form quickly ceasing to struggle. As the Sith deactivated the weapon and dropped the corpse on the ground, Harry moved towards the desk, accessing the computer, and seeking out anything that could help him.

The computer was clearly Sith technology, meaning it was compatible with his datapad. Connecting the two, Harry downloaded the fortress's layout and any critical information available within the computer. He watched the security cameras, finding a room which appeared to be one of the fortress's barracks. He was no expert regarding computers, but what he had learned back at the Sith academy was enough for him to make a few connections to the critical systems of the hideout and some alterations to the ventilation systems of the that specific room. With the doors sealed and no means of escape, it would be filled with corpses soon enough.

His attention was taken from the computer as one of the doors opened, a Sith warrior coming from a corridor. To the warrior, the corpse on the floor and the presence of a stranger on the entrance computer was enough to understand what was going on. The two instantly ignited their lightsabers, a duel to the death quickly starting. The clashing of the red blades was a rather basic aspect of lightsaber duelling, but Harry had a few tricks up his sleeve. After all, training under the spectre of an ancient Dark Lord of the Sith had given him "some" knowledge regarding lightsaber duels.

The flaws on his opponent's savage style were quickly detected, allowing Harry to finish the duel with two moves. First, the removal of the hands proceeded by the removal of the head. And as his opponent's corpse fell on the floor, Harry made sure to search it for any object that could facilitate his infiltration of Malcolm's base. He took the lightsaber for good measure, and the key card that the warrior had. He quickly returned to the computer and checked the other rooms to find what hazards he would have to face. Unfortunately, the base's systems had detected a "malfunction" and automatically disabled manual control of the ventilation system, some sort of failsafe that he was unable to bypass.

"Oh, bloody marvellous," he muttered. "Seems I have to do things the old way."

Harry kept a mental note of dangerous areas of the base, and disconnecting his datapad and storing it in one of his pockets, the Sith Lord entered the corridor from which the dead Sith warrior had come. Right at the middle of the corridor he was met with a crossroads. According to the map, going forward would lead him into the interrogation chambers, right into one of the generators, and left towards other sections of the base. Perhaps once he had dispatched Malcolm he could see if there was anything of value in the interrogation chambers.

And as he decided to go towards the left corridor, Harry did not notice the small camera above, watching him.

* * *

"My lord, there is an intruder here."

Sitting on a strange and mechanical throne, was the emaciated form of Malcolm Rothes, the old Sith Lord's body having been wasted away by countless rituals and experiments concerning the dark side. Yet despite his physical disabilities, Rothes was not as harmless as he would look.

"Another of Cordelia's assassins?" asked the Sith councillor.

"Yes my lord, but… this is no mere assassin."

"Ah! So it is the spawn of Shaar Krev!" realized the Sith Lord. "Finally arrived, did he? Send out the warbots and the warriors."

"Very well my lord," spoke his guardian. "They shall stop him."

Malcolm chuckled.

"Stop him? They won't stop him," affirmed the Sith Lord. "I simply want to delay his arrival."

"Delay, my lord?" protested the guardian. "Surely he isn't a match for all your warriors and droids!"

"He is," declared Malcolm. "The child of Vincine Hord's daughter holds great strength in the Force. It will take more than savage warriors and mindless machines to dispose of him."

The Sith guardian was not so convinced of his master's beliefs, but obeyed his orders anyway. He approached an intercom, and his voice was heard through the base.

"Attention! There is an intruder inside the base!" he spoke. "I repeat, there is an intruder inside the base. All forces are to be deployed to the entrance floor to dispose of the intruder!"

* * *

Harry had just entered a small storage room, looking inside to see if there was anything of value, yet finding nothing that could be of use to him. He had left the small storage when he was startled by the sudden voice echoing through the base.

" _ **Attention! There is an intruder inside the base! I repeat, there is an intruder inside the base. All forces are to be deployed to the entrance floor to dispose of the intruder!"**_

Immediately, Harry ignited his lightsaber, preparing himself for the unavoidable combat.

" _Oh, fantastic Dramath!"_ he snarled mentally. _"Now the entire base knows you're here. How in Chaos did I forget about the security cameras?"_

He could see the shadows of either Sith or warbots coming from a nearby corridor, and positioning himself in a fighting stance, the young Sith Lord prepared himself to dispose of his enemies.

* * *

"Lord Malcolm, the intruder is slaughtering our forces!" said the guardian.

"As expected. I can sense the dark side power emanating from his attacks," replied the Sith councillor. "I told you they would be no match for him."

The Sith guardian turned around, sensing a sudden shift in the dark side near him. He saw a visible aura of dark side energy surrounding Malcolm, and immediately knew what the aged Sith Lord was about to do.

"However, I am curious to see how he will fare against my illusions."


	16. Malcolm Rothes

_**Chapter 16 – Malcolm Rothes** _

**Malcolm's Stronghold, Dumfries, Scotland (U.K.)**

In Harry, the power of the dark side was manifesting itself as the infamous Sith lightning, many of his enemies being stopped in their tracks by the dark side power and some falling dead on the floor. Against such a multitude of enemies, Harry could not simply use his lightsaber, especially when the battle had already begun and opponents of his were also lightsaber wielders. He had to use other methods to destroy these obstacles, and so he did. With telekinesis, he took hold of one of the Sith, and threw his victim towards a group, before focusing on another by draining their Force energy. The warbots however, fell more easily to his lightsaber than to his abilities in the Force.

The Sith Lord focused on the last surviving group, deciding to finish them by concentrating infinite hatred against them, a sphere of pure dark side energy manifesting itself and being hurled towards the last Sith warriors, who were unable to withstand the volatile dark side energies sent towards them. Making sure all his enemies were dead, Harry proceeded into the depths of the fortress, but not without finding further opposition. On his way to Malcolm's sanctum, he was met with even more Sith droids and warriors, all of which were unable to prevent his progress. Yet he began to feel somewhat uneasy, and the strange feeling that something was wrong was not going away.

A strange sound from a nearby room quickly distracted him. Lightsaber ready, Harry entered the chamber, only to find a strange pedestal with a Sith holocron.

" _Just what is this doing here?"_ he wondered. _"Seems to be a rather random place to store a holocron."_

Yet as he approached the pedestal, he felt a pull from the Force, as if warning him that something was wrong once more. Trusting more the Force than his "natural" instincts, Harry took out his lightsaber and proceeded to slash the holocron, surprised when the red blade passed through the holocron as if it was not there.

"An illusion… I see," mumbled Harry, before sensing something behind him.

He did not even turn around, simply turning the hilt of the lightsaber before impaling his would-be-assassin.

" _Trying to distract me, are you Rothes?"_ thought the Sith. " _Still, I'm sure this was simply a minor illusion. He must have something far greater planned."_

He glanced at where the pedestal was, the illusion having vanished. Harry left the small room, before heading into another corridor. The Sith Lord reached another lift, this one also leading him into a lower floor of the base. There was a small antechamber with a metallic door, and protected by two Sith warbots. The droids began to fire at him, Harry deflecting the bolts and advancing towards the droids, destroying one with a single slash. The remaining droid however, decided to change weapons, and began to attack Harry with what he identified as a Sith sword, likely enhanced with Sith alchemy, as it was usual in these machines. His lightsaber could not cut through the droid's sword, locking the two in a struggle for victory. Taking a step back, Harry deactivated the lightsaber before quickly jumping backwards, avoiding the droid's blade. As soon as he landed, Harry unleashed a barrage of Force lightning, the dark side power striking the droid and being powerful enough to hurl the machine towards the wall. It fell on the floor, no longer functioning and the sword it held a few meters away.

Harry opened the door, only to find that the corridor he entered was not like the rest of the base, but resembled much the traditional Sith architecture used in Ragnos.

"This must have been the original sanctum of the Rothes family," mused Harry as he analysed his surroundings.

The crude way the modern base and the old one joined together just made Harry more certain of that theory.

However, his observations quickly had to be abandoned, as he began to hear growling coming from the depths of the dark and dusty corridor. The stomping that followed was enough to warn Harry that something big was coming, and surely enough, a large reptilian-like creature emerged from the depths of the corridor, running straight towards him. The Sith Lord dodged the creature, already knowing what his enemy was.

"How in Chaos does Rothes have a Storm beast?" hissed Harry.

The beast attempted to slash Harry, only to fail as the Sith dodged once more its attack. In return, Harry struck with Force lightning, finding it was causing little damage to the creature. The Storm beast tackled one of the pillars near them, the construct falling towards Harry, who managed to avoid being crushed. Using the Force, he levitated a piece of the fallen pillar, before hurling it towards the Storm beast. It was struck, being sent back several meters. Yet oddly enough, it simply shrugged off the attack before charging at Harry once more.

Seeing his attacks were not stopping the creature, Harry reached out with the Force towards the creature's mind, attempting to dominate it. Yet in doing so, he discovered that there was no mind to dominate at all. In fact, for all intents and purposes, the Storm beast was not even there.

"Another illusion," mumbled the Sith Lord, before deciding to ignore the Storm beast completely.

In doing so, the illusion ceased to work, the false Storm beast disappearing nearly instantly. Still, the damage it had caused had remained. That had been no illusion. Harry reached another door, and opening it, he entered a chamber with a single individual there. It was a fully armoured Sith warrior, wielding a Sith sword instead of a lightsaber.

"You shall not pass beyond this chamber assassin," declared the Sith guardian.

"The others failed to stop me. The illusions of your master as well," retorted Harry. "What makes you think you can stop me? I, who am one of the Lords of the Sith?"

"I have trained under Lord Malcolm himself," spoke the guardian. "Your death will be another footstep in my ascension."

Harry did not ignite his lightsaber, instead concentrating the power of the dark side on his hands.

"And yours shall be a door to Malcolm."

And as the Sith guardian charged at him, Harry unleashed Infinite Hatred upon the warrior, stopping him. The immense energy that emanated from Harry's body was enough to fully illuminate the room, the Sith Lord's own eyes becoming fully white as he continued to release the Bolt of Hatred. The warrior attempted to resist Harry's Sith magic, slowly moving forward and facing directly the dark side power. In response, Harry began to concentrate even greater amounts of Force energy into his attack. Yet even that was not enough to prevent the Sith guardian from advancing.

The man was close enough to Harry, and as he raised his sword to strike, a sharp pain on his chest stopped him at last. He glanced down to see that a red blade had impaled him, and realized too late that his opponent had taken advantage of his slow movement and proximity to fatally wound him. The guardian fell on the floor, his death allowing Harry passage into the inner sanctum of his target.

"I admit I had not thought you would be able to defeat my guardian," said Malcolm as Harry entered the final chamber. "Still it changes nothing. You may have slaughtered your way towards me child, but I am no mere warrior."

"I know that," replied Harry. "But you will still die."

"We shall see."

As Harry ignited his weapon, Malcolm unleashed a barrage of powerful Force lightning towards Harry, the young Sith Lord stopping it with his lightsaber. Still, his weapon was not enough to defend him, as the lightning began to bypass the blade and instead struck him. The pain caused by the Force lightning was almost enough for him to drop the lightsaber, but Harry managed to keep himself standing despite what he was feeling. However, he knew that eventually, those bolts which were hitting him would soon be enough to kill him.

He began to concentrate on the Force, seeking to unleash something that would allow him to escape Malcolm's lightning. Harry discarded his lightsaber, using the Force to absorb the lightning. He could feel the power behind Malcolm's Sith lightning, and quickly acted to make sure the insane man did not use any other Force power. Using Malcolm's own lightning against him, Harry stunned the old man long enough, before releasing an unseen spear of dark side energy towards Malcolm. The old Sith was unable to defend himself, and was struck by the dark side spear, upon which a burst of Force-energy hurled Harry towards the antechamber.

When he got up, the young Sith Lord noticed Malcolm was slumped on his chair, a gaping wound on his chest. He had managed to kill the old and insane Sith councillor, and now all he had to do, was to acquire some sort of proof of Malcolm's death. He approached the corpse, and noticing the Sith amulets, Harry took hold of them, before deciding to explore the base a bit, seeking any other Sith artefacts that could be of use to him.

When everything was done, he had to return to Cordelia's manor. After all, he had a temple to acquire.


	17. Plans

_ **Chapter 17 – Plans** _

**Cordelia Rothes's Estate, Perth, Scotland (U.K.)**

Harry had spent quite a long time inside Malcolm's base, searching for anything that could be of use to him. Unfortunately, there were no valuable Sith artefacts or holocrons for him to take, and the interrogation chamber lacked any important information. With his work done, all he had to do was to return to the mansion of Cordelia, and give her the amulets of her late husband.

Once again, he approached the manor's entrance and pressed the doorbell. After a few moments, the door was opened and the butler came out.

"Yes?" said the old man.

"I wish to speak with your master," said Harry. "I have something for her."

The man allowed Harry passage into the entrance hall, and guided the young Sith into the room where Cordelia was. Harry had not entered the living room during his last visit, but he had to admit it was a bit more impressive than that of his father's house. Inside was Cordelia, and two teenage boys which seemed to be slightly older than Harry. If he had to gamble, he would have said they were Rothes's grandchildren, or at least two of them.

"Ah, so you return Dramath," she said. "I assume you bring good news."

"Indeed," said Harry as he removed the amulets from his robe. "Recognize these?"

Cordelia looked at the Sith amulets, her eyes expressing curiosity and surprise.

"Indeed, I do. So, it is done then," said the old woman, before motioning towards an armchair. "Do sit down Lord Dramath. Give those amulets to Thomas."

Harry handed the Sith amulets to the butler, before sitting down. By their posture, Harry noticed that the two boys seemed to be somewhat… uncomfortable.

"I assume you have realized these are two of my grandchildren, specifically, the sons of my eldest child," she said. "The two are under the apprenticeship of their father and mother."

Harry nodded. "I see."

"But you Dramath… you have surpassed that phase of your life, and are now amongst the highest ranked Sith," she spoke. "An impressive feat, for someone of your age. It not normal for a youth to have such strength and control in the Force. The death of my husband, no matter how insane and uncappable he was, is a clear proof of that. But I am sure you did not come to hear an old woman ramble. You came for the temple, and you shall have it."

"Then where is it?" asked the younger Sith Lord.

"It lies within a cave on the island of Jan Mayen," revealed the woman. "Thomas will give you a detailed location of the temple. However, may I remind you that the structure has been abandoned for centuries, and will likely require extensive renovations."

Harry chuckled. "There will be no need for that. I don't wish to reopen the temple. A few changes will be made of course… but nothing as drastic as what you describe. I shall serve a greater purpose."

"Will it be made public?" she asked.

"No," he said. "When the purpose for what I need the temple is fulfilled, It shall be abandoned once again. Its… apparent remoteness also is of great advantage."

Cordelia nodded. "Do you have any more business to discuss?"

"No, I do not," said Harry. "But I believe we will meet again Lord Rothes. After all, I believe the Sith Council has an empty seat. The Sith'ari certainly will soon decide who shall fill the empty position."

"Indeed," mumbled Cordelia.

Harry got up from the armchair, heading towards the exit where the butler was waiting for him. Upon being given the directions, Harry left the mansion. Not only he had to arrange certain things, but he also had to speak with his apprentice. Theodore's training in the ways of the Sith had to begin soon after all.

* * *

**Averdale Estate, England (U.K.)**

"And how exactly does this change anything?"

That question had come from Avery, one of Amelius Nott's visitors and acquaintance to the aged Marquess of Averdale. Said man eyed the other with curiousness.

"Care to explain Avery?" spoke Nott.

"Potter still is the Dark Lord's enemy," replied Avery. "It is natural that he shall be eliminated by the master, if he returns."

"You must be delusional," retorted Yaxley. "Even if the Dark Lord somehow manages to return, how exactly do you suppose he will stand against one of the Sith? Even Merlin tried, and everyone knows what happened to him. Besides, I saw him in action in Knockturn Alley."

"Really?" asked Lucius Malfoy with genuine curiosity.

"Potter somehow got there and some idiot attempted to attack him," said Yaxley. "The boy dismembered him and snapped his neck with some sort of Sith magic. And then he left."

"You're scared of a boy?" taunted Avery.

"A boy who is very well on the line to become the next Dark Lord," retorted the other Death Eater. "Also, I saw him approaching your son the other day Nott. Care to share anything?"

"Truthfully, I know nothing about it," said Amelius. "Yet the exchange between them seemed to be rather… peaceful. And Theodore's mood seemed to have improved after their talk."

"So, you have your son consorting with a Sith Lord," said Lucius. "Are you aware of what that implies?"

Amelius nodded. "The Dark Lord himself admired and approached the Sith, yet they refused him. He is defeated by a mere child who disappears from society afterwards, and then returns years later as a Sith Lord. The fact that my son and Potter spoke without any hostility involved is by itself a miracle."

"The black market is bustling with rumours about a recent power shift amongst the Sith of Scotland," said Rosier. "Apparently, some high-ranking Sith has been murdered by an outlander. Potter, perhaps?"

"Maybe…" spoke Amelius. "Yet we are walking around in darkness. At this moment, there is nothing certain."

"Fudge let it slip that Potter will be spending some time in Hogwarts. The boy claims it is for personal research," said Lucius. "This may present an opportunity to watch him closer."

Amelius knew exactly what Lucius was suggesting.

"Using the children might be a good idea," he said. "However, we are a bit limited, no?"

"Draco, yours, and the two Carrows are enough for this," affirmed Malfoy. "Amycus, can your nieces be trusted with this task."

"Of course," replied the man.

This was a critical moment for the remnants of the Death Eaters. With their master either dead or severely weakened, they had turned their eyes towards the next likely candidate to the "vacant throne" left by Voldemort's disappearance. In the wake of the discovery that a mere child had caused his downfall, several Death Eaters began to suspect that the Dark Lord's failure was a sign of his unworthiness to guide them. Being defeated by an infant who knows nothing about magic is a great blow to one's reputation, after all.

"Can yours be?" spoke Nott.

"Draco's temperament does need to be adjusted, but he will show results," declared Lucius.

"And what makes you think that the boy supports our ideals?" spoke Avery.

"Good point," said Yaxley. "Potter may well be unconcerned with issues regarding purity of blood."

And that was a critical topic amongst blood supremacists such as them. What exactly were the ideals of the Boy-Who-Lived?

"I don't doubt that," affirmed Nott. "Yet in the eventuality that Potter proves himself to be beyond the Dark Lord's power, I know where my loyalties will lie. I would not want to stand on the path of a Sith Lord."

"A gamble then," said Lucius. "Let us wait and see what Potter has in store for our world. Perhaps we might be surprised."

Unfortunately for those gathered around the table, that was very well their only viable choice at the moment. A sudden crack distracted them from whatever thought they had, as a house-elf appeared right next to Amelius's seat.

"Yes?" asked Amelius.

"Master," said the house-elf with a raspy voice. "A visitor is at the door."

"Who is it?"

"Calls himself Dramath Hord," replied the elf.

"Dram-," Amelius stopped right there, remembering the name from the gathering. "What in Merlin's name does he want?"

"He is here?" asked Lucius, knowing that name as well.

"It can only be something related to Theodore," muttered the Marquess before looking at the elf. "Return to your duties. I shall go and meet with Hord."

The elf bowed before disappearing in another crack.

"Well… its seems an early opportunity has arrived."

* * *

It was not easy to find the residence of the Nott family, but Dramath Hord had his ways to achieve certain goals. And so here he was, standing outside the entrance to the old manor of the Marquesses of Averdale, wearing his usual Sith attire, a bit more different now since his ascension to the rank of a Sith Lord. He had to look the part, after all.

" _Still, I don't like to wait,"_ thought Harry. _"When will that little bugger return?"_

When he arrived, a house-elf immediately apparated right in front of him, asking him who he was. As soon as he answered, the damned thing disappeared to Typhojem-knows-where. He had the feeling that the master of the house knew of his presence there already, and Harry could not help but wonder how this meeting with a follower of the idiot who tried to kill him would go.

He heard the door open, and out came the robed figure of Amelius Nott. Harry had never spoken to the man, simply having seen him during the gathering. He had a far greater interest in his son instead. Still, he was sure there was something about him that unnerved the elder Nott, because Amelius froze as soon as he saw him.

To Amelius, the child in front of him was not normal. He had not seen Potter close enough during the event at the ministry, but he had an idea of what he looked like. After all, there were many comments about his similarities with both his father and brother. But while he had known that Harry Potter was a Sith Lord, his close presence was… unnerving. Especially the eyes.

The eyes of the Dark Lord had been red, and it was something that the elite Death Eaters who were constantly in his presence had gotten used to. In effect, it had become normal. But these yellow eyes were not normal. In fact, there was something clearly wrong about Potter in every aspect, but Amelius could not figure out what exactly.

"Lord Averdale, I presume," spoke the Sith.

That bought Nott out of his stupor. "Oh, erm… yes. What brings you to my home, Lord Dramath?"

"Have come to speak with your son," replied Harry.

"With Theodore?" inquired Amelius.

"Hasn't he told you?" asked Harry, curious about why his apprentice had not revealed what happened to his father.

"Told me what?"

Harry chuckled. "Your son is, sensitive to the Force," affirmed Harry. "As such, I spoke to him and offered him the opportunity to become my apprentice. Which he accepted."

Of all things, that had not been what Amelius had been expecting. He was aware that the Sith called their magic "Force", for some reason he could not fathom, and now Potter was claiming that his son could use their powers and was training under a Sith. If what he said was true, then this could change a lot of things. But the question was, would it be good for them? Potter already had broken their original expectations of him, so it was obvious to expect his future actions to be quite unpredictable.

"I see," said Amelius. "Theodore is at home. I can summon him for you."

The Sith smiled. "If you don't mind."

Nott entered his house again, Harry following him into the hall.

"Theodore!" shouted Amelius, surprising even Harry by the volume of his voice.

Moments later, said boy appeared on top of the stairs, a bored expression on his face and wondering what his father wanted. Yet that only lasted until the moment he saw Harry standing next to Amelius.

"Lord Dramath!" exclaimed Theodore, not expecting his Sith master to visit.

Harry gave a faint smile.

"Apprentice. We have much to talk."


	18. The Training Begins

_**Chapter 18 – The Training Begins** _

**Averdale Estate, England (U.K.)**

As Theodore closed the door to his bedroom behind them, Harry immediately began to analyse the bedroom of his apprentice. Compared to that of his brother, it was a bit more organized, and from a cabinet, he could see that Theodore was also a collector of sorts. He approached one of the two cabinets, and looked at the objects behind the glass.

"You collect... wands and pieces of wood?" asked the Sith Lord confused.

"Wand pieces to be precise," affirmed Theodore. "When you can't have the whole wand, at least part of it is enough. The other cabinet has the wand cores I managed to gather."

A piece of wood behind a golden plaque attracted Harry's attention.

"Snakewood, Salazar Slytherin?" he read, remembering it as the name of one of the founders of Hogwarts.

"Not exactly a piece of his wand, but from a tree in Ilvermorny which grew from Slytherin's wand," explained Theodore. "I got it from a friend of mine who studies in that school. It's the centrepiece of my collection."

"I see…," said Harry. "Well, never mind that. I am here to begin your training. As the direct apprentice of a Sith, and not a normal pupil in a Sith academy, your training will be quite different from that of many others. The training phase of one's apprenticeship under a Sith is usually unique for each apprentice. I have my methods, while other Sith have their own. Some skip certain aspect of the training, while others don't."

"What aspects?" asked Theodore.

"One of them is the Sacrifice," revealed Harry. "It is a way to test the apprentice's dedication to the Sith by forcing them to kill someone close to them. The more conservative members of our society still follow this method. However, I do not follow this mindset."

"Why?"

"The circumstances of your training deem it useless, and the intended outcome of the Sacrifice will gradually manifest itself as your training progresses," explained the Sith Lord. "That's how I see it though. Ask any other Sith and you will have a totally different opinion."

"Did you… did you make the Sacrifice?" asked Theodore, a bit nervous about this type of question.

"Yes." Harry's answer was blunt, and left no room for development. "Now, without a clear understanding of the Sith and our philosophy, you are as useless as a broken chair. Your first lesson will be regarding the code of the Sith."

Theodore nodded, waiting for his master to continue.

"Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me."

The apprentice could see a strange glint on the eyes of his master.

"This was the Sith Code, but to understand it, you must also know its origins, and the origins of the Sith as well. Do you know where the Sith came from?"

Theodore shook his head.

"I'll give you an… abridged version of the story. Long ago, there was a group which called itself the Jedi, followers of the light side of the Force, the Ashla. A schism occurred, during which several Jedi who desired to follow the dark side turned against the Jedi, leading to the Hundred-Year Darkness," said Harry. "The Dark Jedi, under High General Ajunta Pall lost, and were exiled, eventually discovering the Sith species and conquering them. The Sith, as you know them today, came from the mixture of these Dark Jedi and the ancient Sith."

That confused Theodore. "Wait, so the Dark Jedi took the name of those they conquered? That's… weird."

"I admit, it is strange, but having been cast out from the Jedi and the natural affinity for the dark side that the Sith possessed, and still possess to this day, was enough incentive for that to happen. The Sith King Hakagram Graush was killed by Pall with the assistance of the King' Shadow Hand, and he took the title of Jen'ari, translated into your tongue as Dark Lord," continued Harry. "Pall's successor to the title of Dark Lord and fellow exile Sorzus Syn was the one who created the Sith Code, basing it on both the Jedi Code and the fledgling philosophy of the new Sith."

"Do you know it?" asked Nott.

"Of course I know it!" exclaimed Harry. "It's something every Kissai is supposed to know. History of the Sith and all that. Hear it carefully."

Theodore paid close attention to Harry's words.

"There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force."

As soon as he recited the Jedi Code, Harry began to chuckle.

"The last part of their code is rather curious, and part of the general ambition of all Sith."

"Which is?"

"Immortality, of course," stated Harry. "Reaching it through the Force is the greatest challenge that the Sith ever faced, beyond our conflict with the Jedi. The Jedi have a completely different interpretation of that verse, but I'm not here to teach you the views of the Jedi. At least for now."

From his robes, the Sith Lord took out a lightsaber, handing it to Theodore. The young apprentice took the weapon, observing it curiously.

"This is a lightsaber, the weapon of a Sith," explained Harry. "The one I gave you is a common lightsaber, taken from an acolyte I killed a few months ago. When you have the proper knowledge and skill, you shall partake in the construction of your own. Yours is locked in training mode, meaning it is mostly harmless. It can still cause severe burns, so don't start playing with it."

Theodore nodded, before pressing the button on the hilt. He was startled by the sudden appearance of a red blade, the humming sound resonating within his room and the red colour granting it a reddish hue.

"Within lies a synthetic crystal, which, alongside other components, projects the blade you see," explained Harry. "Now…"

In an instant, Harry had ignited his own lightsaber, the blade being pointed towards Theodore.

"… strike me."

The apprentice was stunned. "What?"

"Do it."

Theodore mentally shrugged, before grabbing the hilt with his two hands and striking at his master. Harry easily deflected all blows from Theodore, somewhat frustrating the other boy.

"You are striking mindlessly," commented the Sith as he shielded himself from yet another blow. "Without the Force to guide your movements, you will not stand a chance in combat against another lightsaber wielder. Before channelling your emotions into the moment of the battle, you must first learn how to use the lightsaber in combat. Stop, for a moment."

Theodore did so, and watched as his master, took out a small sack from his robes. From the shape, it appeared something round was inside, and watched in confusion as Harry took out a strange white orb. The Sith master did something to the object, and Theodore watched as it began to float around the room, randomly rotating.

"This is a remote, used to train novices in both lightsaber combat and in reflexes," said Harry. "Prepare yourself."

With a snap of his fingers, the remote immediately focused on Theodore, starting to fire bolts at the young apprentice. He attempted to shield himself with the lightsaber, trying to concentrate on the Force. He achieved a small measure of success, his lightsaber shielding him from some of the remote's bolts.

"Focus!" hissed the Sith Lord.

The droid began to fire again, the apprentice attempting once more to defend himself against the remote's bolts. And from the way Harry had sat on his bed, Theodore could tell this was going to be a long day.

A really long day.


	19. Interlude to the World Cup

_**Chapter 19 – Interlude to the World Cup** _

**Averdale Estate, England (U.K.)**

"Well… that was interesting."

Amongst several security measures implanted within the manor by the Nott family, one of them had been a "listening charm", allowing the head of the household to listen in to all within the mansion if they so desired. Theodore's bedroom was no exception to that rule, and Amelius's statement was seen as minor considering the entire situation happening above them.

"Your son is being trained in the Sith ways, and you simply find it interesting?" spoke Yaxley.

"Quite," replied the elderly man. "And Potter's lecture was rather insightful, wouldn't you agree?"

"Their origins are indeed interesting," admitted Lucius. "The fact that their leader was also called Dark Lord even more."

"The fact that Potter casually mentions killing two individuals is far more interesting to me," spoke Amycus. "Even more that one was close to him. The little Sith up there is a bit ruthless, no?"

There was a clear tone of mock in Carrow's voice, but none missed the slight awed manner in which Amycus had spoken. This version of the Boy-Who-Lived was certainly not meeting their original expectations of him, that of a child under the wing of Dumbledore, ready to do battle against all the "dark wizards". This Potter only cared about what was useful to him, and that intrigued all of them, even Avery, who had been the most opposed to their possible approach of Potter.

"But… who exactly are the Jedi?" said Yaxley. "Never heard of them?"

"They might have gone extinct," suggested Malfoy. "Potter did say that Hundred-Year Darkness thing happened long ago."

"Or they may be in hiding. As we do from the muggles," said Amelius.

"Forget these Jedi, or whatever they are called," spoke Alecto Carrow. "What was that sound?"

"It might have come from that lightsaber," suggested her brother. "Whatever that is."

"It must be that weapon Potter used in Knockturn Alley. The sound was similar from what I remember," said Yaxley. "That thing is… dangerous."

"So is a wand," pointed out Lucius.

"The boy would cut your arm out with the lightsaber before you had the chance to draw it," retorted Yaxley. "Either that, or he would snap your neck without even touching you. I don't even want to think what else he can do."

"Well, we're still following the original plan, right?" asked Amycus.

Nott nodded. "We are. We might know a bit of Potter's background, but this is not enough. We better return to this topic later, when better informed."

There was a general agreement regarding that statement.

"Now… about the Quidditch World Cup…"

* * *

**Hereford House, Herefordshire, England (U.K.)**

"... do you want to go?"

Harry had been caught by surprise with the question. Having been reading a book on Sith magic, he missed the actual topic of the question.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"If you want to go to the Quidditch World Cup?" asked James once again. "The final match between Ireland and Bulgaria."

Harry hummed in thought. Perhaps he needed a small distraction from this whole affair with the training of his new apprentice. Not to mention that Theodore had mentioned that he would also be there, with his father.

The Sith had a limited knowledge regarding Quidditch, the knowledge he had extracted from Malfoy not containing much about it, and his lack of research on the subject not helping matters. Still, what a better opportunity to learn more about this sport than to see it first-hand.

"Sure, I guess," replied the young Sith.

James nodded, pleased with his son's answer, quickly returning to reading the newspaper, whilst Harry returned to the book.

"How many people are going to be there?" asked Harry as he read.

"Several thousand," replied his father. "Why?"

"Nothing. Just curious," said the Sith. "Speaking about curiosity, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"From what I have gathered, there will be some sort of competition at Hogwarts this year, correct?" asked the Sith Lord.

James looked at his son, wondering where exactly he had gotten that information. He still gave him an answer.

"Yes, there will," confirmed James. "It's supposed to be a secret though. How do you even know about it."

Harry chuckled. "I have my ways. Now, what exactly is this competition supposed to be?"

"I suppose there's no harm in telling you. It's called the Tri-Wizard Tournament," said James. "It's basically a contest where three schools select a champion and they have to pass a set of challenges to win. The death toll is usually high, so that last time it happened was during the 18th century. I have no idea why they suddenly decided to revive it though. Must have been one of Bagman's ideas, and the Ministry went along with it."

"You seem to disapprove of it," commented Harry.

James snorted. "The Tri-Wizard Tournament was something that worked perfectly centuries ago, but nowadays it is rather obsolete and outdated. Even by wizardkind standards. Placing three students, no matter how skilled, in challenges which might take their lives is idiotic."

"These students are not chosen randomly, are they?"

"Sort of. They put their names for selection, and later, an artefact known as the Goblet of Fire decides who will be the contestants," his father explained.

"Then if they were chosen, it meant they knew what the stakes were," said Harry. "Their deaths were partly their own fault. Besides, you said it was a revival of the original tournament. They might attempt to make the whole thing a bit more moderate."

"The first task involves stealing an egg from a female dragon," stated James. "A nesting one. Just don't tell anyone else. Not even your brother."

"I take it back," said Harry. "Considering your ways of life and mindset of wizards, whoever decided to resurrect that tournament must be a complete idiot."

James snorted.

"Welcome to the Wizarding World."

* * *

**Quidditch Trillenium Stadium, Dartmoor, England (U.K.)**

Harry had not been sure of what to expect. He had never seen so many people together… or so many tents. The whole area was rather chaotic, and apparently there was a family of non-magical people greeting the new arrivals, completely oblivious to the actual purpose of the gathering of so many people. Still, they were a bit away from the actual campsite, so any display of magic would not be noticed.

He watched as his father was given the area where their tent was to be placed, and quietly followed his family as they made their way to the campsite. It soon became apparent to Harry that these tents were not large enough to allow the people which gathered near them to sleep inside. So there was something else at work. What exactly had these wizards created to deal with this problem?

He was distracted from his thoughts as they passed by a rather extravagant tent with peacocks outside. They did not linger there for too long, as they continued to walk towards their destination. Soon enough, they reached the pitch where an area had been reserved for the Potter family, a plaque with the family name and a number indicating that.

"Well, here we are!" said his father before placing a bag on the ground.

James pointed his wand at the bag, several objects suddenly emerging from its depths and beginning to arrange themselves. It did not take long for Harry to realize that his father was erecting the tent by magical means. The tent was rather odd in the exterior, its style diverging from most of those outside, and resembling what Harry believed to be Islamic architecture. Seconds later, it was finished, and Harry watched with curiosity as his family entered the tent.

He did so as well, and as he first glimpsed into its interior, he had to admit he was positively surprised. His brother was already slouching on one of the sofas, their mother heading towards another section of the tent.

"Like it?" asked James.

"Yeah," he said. "How does it work?"

James shrugged. "Frankly, I'm not really sure. All I know, is that a lot of charms are involved. Many repeated."

Harry nodded. "Where did you get it?"

"It came from India," answered James. "My grandfather got it as a gift from a Nizam. Your grandfather inherited it, and then I did."

"I see. So… what now?"

James chuckled. "Now, we have to find something to entertain ourselves with until the evening."


	20. Conversations at the Tent

_**Chapter 20 – Conversations at the Tent** _

**Quidditch Trillenium Stadium, Dartmoor, England (U.K.)**

The tent flaps open, Harry sat outside on a rather comfortable armchair, a small coffee table next to him with a porcelain jug on top of it. He was holding a cup filled with a red liquid, not that the people nearby could see it, since the cup was too made of porcelain. He watched the people passing by, enjoying these moments of relative quietness. That word was, of course, used loosely, since quietness was practically non-existent around with, with thousands of wizards making enough noise to wake up the dead.

His mother was inside, doing… something, he was sure of that. His father and brother had left and went somewhere, likely to visit acquaintances, so he was there alone, enjoying a refreshing moment of solitude. It was a rather rare thing, to be able to enjoy moments as these when one was a Sith Lord, especially without the threat of someone literally backstabbing you. He was not lax, however, as Harry knew very well that a blade in the dark could be as unexpected as finding a holocron when clearing out an attic in Ragnos. Speaking of which, he really needed to begin to make his move on the throne… to put the plan into action. Yet for that, he required part of the Jan Mayen Temple restored, and that would take quite a while. Not to mention the temple would be useless without the… main ingredients.

Perhaps Cordelia Rothes could still be useful regarding that. Well, a thought for another day.

"Lord Dramath!"

Harry turned his head towards the familiar voice, seeing his apprentice Theodore approaching him from the east.

"Ah, Theodore!" he said. "Care to join me?"

The other nodded, watching as his apprentice summoned a chair similar to that which he sat on, the object appearing next to the coffee table.

"A drink?" suggested Harry.

Theodore shrugged, and grabbed an empty cup before filling it.

"So, what's you take on all of this? Care about Quidditch?" asked Harry.

"Of course," replied Theodore before taking a sip, finding the flavour rather strong but oddly pleasing. "I always enjoy the thrill of the game, even if I'm not the one playing."

"Have you ever thought of doing so?"

Theodore shook his head. "No. I don't like brooms. Too prone to accidents and sabotage. Your brother nearly died in our first year because of a jinxed broom, did you know?"

"Well, he's here, isn't he?" said the Sith Lord. "But I see your point. Enough about Quidditch, though. I have something to ask you."

Theodore looked at him with curiosity.

"Tell me about Albus Dumbledore," said Harry. "At least your perspective of the man."

"Well…he's a great wizard, no doubt about that. Many half-bloods and muggle-borns rally to his side, since he is basically their protector and voice in the wizarding world," said Theodore. "People say he was the only one that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named feared, and decades ago he defeated another dark wizard called Grindelwald, before imprisoning him somewhere in the continent."

Harry nodded. "Grindelwald…I've heard about him. What were his motivations?"

"Father told me he wanted to forge an empire where there was no statute of secrecy and muggles were ruled by wizards. That did not fall well with the governments of the time," he said. "Apparently, rumours say that Dumbledore worked with Grindelwald once, but something led to a schism between them."

"Is he still alive? Grindelwald?"

Theodore shrugged. "No idea. People don't care about him anymore. Not since… You-Know-Who appeared."

"Call him Voldemort," ordered the Sith. "If you fear him, then don't show it. Taste that fear and turn it into… motivation during combat, fuelling the dark side of the Force as it fuels you."

"Yes my master," nodded Theodore. "Still, nowadays, Grindelwald is pushed to the side because of Voldemort. Well, him and his followers."

The Death Eaters. Harry had gathered quite useful information regarding this old group when he had invaded the mind of Lucius Malfoy. While not active, they still held secret meetings from time to time, apparently to discuss politics and how to influence the ministry to do their bidding. Truly, they continued to do battle, but in a different battlefield.

"Another question. I'm not sure if you are even aware of it, but people say that my father is…different from how he was before I disappeared," said Harry. "Us both knowing the true allegiances of your father, what exactly is his opinion regarding mine and that whole story."

"If I told you that no wizard in Britain wants to cross James Potter, would you be satisfied?"

Harry nearly snorted.

"Not exactly. Is he really that intimidating?" he asked in genuine curiosity.

"From personal experience, I can't say much. But it's the general opinion regarding your father," admitted Theodore. "I think if he wanted, he could become Ministry of Magic with no problems."

"Why young Nott, I'm flattered."

Theodore nearly jumped from his chair at the sudden voice and appearance of James Potter from behind them, having given no audible sign of his arrival.

"Your Grace! I… erm…"

"Calm yourself Theodore," said James. "I won't bite. I am curious though. What exactly brought that comment of yours?"

"We were speaking about you," said Harry. "Specifically, post-Voldemort you. Care to join us?"

James simply shrugged and summoned a third chair, sitting down as Harry offered him a cup with the odd liquid. James took a sip, finding it oddly pleasant, despite its strong flavour.

"What's this?" asked James.

"Blood wine," replied Harry nonchalantly. "It's a ceremonial beverage of the Sith, made just like the blood soup."

Theodore looked a bit nauseated, while James seemed to be more curious than anything else.

"Will this cause any health problems to us?" asked the older wizard.

"Nah. Human Sith also drink it, so you'll be fine. It's basically a… special type of wine, if I can call it that."

"Wine it is," affirmed James before drinking again.

On the other hand, Theodore seemed to be divided between temptation and disgust at drinking something which had either Human or Sith blood as a main ingredient. Taking into consideration that he had been drinking it without any problem, he settled on continuing to do so.

"So… you think I could become the Minister?" spoke James. "A rather odd praise coming from a Nott."

Despite his own mother having been the daughter of Samuel Nott and Elladora Black, what James had said was curiously true. The Potter family and the Nott family stood each in opposite sides of the ideological spectrum of the British wizarding world, although none was at the extremes, despite the involvement of the Nott family with the Death Eaters.

"Father says you have all the qualities a competent minister needs," affirmed Theodore. "You're virtually incorruptible, you have a controlled ruthlessness, and you're a strong wizard. His words, not mine."

"And you agree with him?" asked James.

"I see no reason not to. My father's not one to easily compliment people. He wouldn't do so without reason."

James gave a small nod. The Potter patriarch knew very well what kind of person was Amelius Nott, so he decided to keep the conversation at that. However, it was time to change topic.

"Enough about the ministry. I have a question for you, Theodore."

Harry's apprentice looked at James, waiting for the question.

"You were raised by a man who believes in blood purity, meaning you were brought up with such beliefs as well," stated James. "So how exactly do you make it compatible with your… new life? My wife told me of the beliefs and customs of the Sith, so… I'm intrigued."

Harry glanced at his apprentice, also wanting to know what the answer would be.

"It's simple. The answer is power," declared Theodore. "All wizards know about the Sith and their powers. How the mighty Merlin himself fell to one of the Sith Lords of old. Even Voldemort attempted to reach the Sith but was denied. That kind of power makes all that talk of blood purity useless… mostly."

"Mostly?" asked Harry.

"Use the ideas to control those who believe them," said Theodore. "What Voldemort did and Dumbledore continues to do."

Dumbledore. The Sith Lord knew without doubt that the man was a dangerous adversary, but the extent of Dumbledore's threat to his plans remained unknown to him. It would be unwise to cross the man before the temple was complete and all the pieces of his game were in their right places. His presence at Hogwarts would be very helpful to keep the man in check, but it also meant he too would be under Dumbledore's eyes, so he would have to act carefully.

Yet in this, he was eager to see what Hogwarts would bring.


	21. Nexus of Power

_**Chapter 21 – Nexus of Power** _

**Quidditch Trillenium Stadium, Dartmoor, England (U.K.)**

The conversation with both his father and apprentice was rather interesting, and a pleasant way to pass time. When Michael had finally returned, he was accompanied by a girl with bushy hair and a somewhat chubby boy. There was little time for introductions as both the girl and the boy left quickly upon noticing Harry's presence, not that it mattered much for the Sith Lord. Still, he supposed that those were likely some of Michael's friends.

"You do a fine job of scaring people away," commented Michael.

"Let's hope that the whole stadium doesn't run away because of my presence," replied Harry. "I would be a shame for the match to be ruined."

While the mischievous tone was not missed on the listeners, James, Michael, and Theodore all knowing that the Sith in front of them would likely do something in such a scale if he felt like it. On the other hand, Harry knew that his words, together with the infamous reputation of the Sith amongst wizards, would cause them to overestimate his power. While in normal circumstances he would prefer to be underestimated, right now he needed to project his power, both existent and non-existent, in order to accumulate influence amongst wizardkind.

What he would get out of this, it was unknown to him. He already had a seemingly promising apprentice, and the temple on Jan Mayen was being partially rebuilt to fit his plans for the future… but truth be told, Britain was a wild card regarding his general plot to assume power in the Sith Order.

Time would tell what the future would bring.

* * *

At the end of the Quidditch match, and not that he would tell anyone, Harry felt that Quidditch could be something he would have enjoyed in his free time. He was not supporting any of the teams, and simply enjoyed the whole spectacle as much as he could, yet quite a bit detached from the entertainment culture of wizardkind. He had not grown up enjoying these kinds of things, and he was effectively a foreigner to not only Britain, but to the Wizarding World as a whole.

He was essentially apathetic to the fact that Ireland had won the match, and by consequence, the World Cup, but the others did not share his apathy. There were many celebrations occurring across the entire campsite, but that of his family was being held inside the tent. Minutes passed, and things mostly calmed down, but there was still quite a commotion outside. And… something else. Harry felt a shift in the Force, like a breeze of cold air on the back of his head, a clear sign of its dark side nature. Something was happening, or about to happen.

There were still shouts coming from the outside, but there was something different about them. They did not seem to be of celebration, and his father noticed that as well, as he jolted to the outside, his wand at the ready. Harry immediately followed him, ready to ignite his lightsaber. True to his suspicions, something wrong was happening. There were shouts of terror and people running away, and in the distance, he could see a bonfire of tents, the smoke rising to the skies. At the sight, James immediately ran inside.

"Something's wrong out there! Fold the tent and get to the portkey, now!" he barked.

Lily and Michael jolted outside, and James quickly undid the tent's support. Once the magical item had collapsed, Lily grabbed it and stuffed it inside a large bag Michael carried. The two quickly began to make way to the portkey area, while James turned to the source of the panic.

"Harry, go with them," he said. "It's not safe here."

His son laughed.

"And miss out on the fun?" asked Harry, twirling his lightsaber. "Not in a thousand years. You'll go with them. They need you more than I do."

James glanced at the lightsaber and back at Harry before nodding, the Potter patriarch running towards the rest of his family. As Harry turned to the source of the confusion, he saw what seemed to be a group of cloaked wizards, their heads covered and faces masked. With this, the Sith Lord had no doubt about their identity. It seemed that some of Voldemort's Death Eaters had decided that the World Cup would be a good place to announce their return.

He walked towards them, dodging the wizards who were running to his opposite direction. It seemed that the Death Eaters were having fun torturing a group of people… non-magicals if he was correct. They laughed and jeered as the muggles floated in the air, their bodies moving like marionettes. He reached out with the Force, grabbing one of the laughing Death Eaters, before viciously slamming him against a tree.

This did not go unnoticed, as the Death Eaters shifted their attentions towards him, completely ignoring the still floating muggles. A barrage of spells was sent towards him, all deflected by the lightsaber. Harry moved fast, his intention being the submission of the dark wizards. Lightning flew from his fingertips, striking the Death Eaters in front of him, and making the others back away in fear, now truly realizing who their enemy was.

"Kneel!" he commanded, forcing the Death Eaters to their knees with the Force.

To them, this was a foreign experience. They had previously been under the Cruciatus Curse, at the hands of their old master, but never he had taken away control of their own bodies without the Imperius. And this boy, his bane, had just done exactly that, without any effort.

Harry approached the group, all unable to move. "How leads you?" he asked..

There was a moment of silence, before one of them answered.

"I do."

The voice came from someone next to him, who was quickly identified by the Sith. Using the Force once again, Harry lifted the Death Eater, the man forced to stand straight. He approached the leader, and swiftly took off the mask, revealing the face of Lucius Malfoy.

"It's been a while, Mister Malfoy."

Lucius looked at him with abject terror, nothing having prepared him for such a situation.

"Your old master is gone, so what's the purpose of… this?" he inquired. "I would like an answer."

"To strike fear," answered the man. "To remind people that we still exist."

"And to have fun as well, I presume," affirmed Harry, looking at the muggles. "I truly don't see the point of this. Your crusade is pointless either way. You act in the name of a dead cause… of a dead master… why?"

There was no answer from Malfoy, and Harry could sense that the man knew not how to answer him.

"You don't even know," he chuckled, before igniting his lightsaber. "Tell me, why should I keep you alive? After all, you are followers of the man who once tried to kill me."

Lucius Malfoy was a man loyal to his beliefs, but if there was anything he was more loyal to, was both his life and family.

"We… we can serve you!" suggested the wizard.

"Serve me? While the thought sounds appealing, loyalty through fear is often fragile. If your old master was to somehow return, what would there be to stop you from betraying me and joining him again?"

Lucius gulped. "Your power."

It was no lie.

Harry smiled. "Exactly. I can sense the fear and anxiousness coming from all of you. I would replace that with determination towards a single goal."

"Which is?" asked Lucius.

"That has yet to be revealed," he said, the lightsaber's blade almost touching Malfoy's cheek. "You will leave this place, and come only when summoned. I'll find you one way or another."

Lucius nodded. "Yes, my Lord."

Harry released his hold on the Death Eaters, lightning flowing through his free hand as a warning to them. In either fear or reverence, the Death Eaters bowed before apparating away, the floating muggles falling without the spell anchoring them. They were grabbed by Harry, before he dropped them on the floor, the Sith finding nothing to gain from their demise or any injuries.

This was proving to be a far more interesting day than what he had originally expected.


	22. In Motion

_**Chapter 22 – In Motion** _

**Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England (U.K.)**

Narcissa Malfoy sat in the living room, awaiting the arrival of Lucius. Draco had already been sent back to the manor at the whim of her husband, but the Malfoy patriarch had remained behind at the campsite. And she knew very well what he was doing there. It would do no good to have Draco caught in the crossfire.

A popping sound alerted her to the arrival of her husband, and the cloaked figure of Lucius Malfoy emerged from the corridor. And to her great confusion, the man was not only pale, but also visibly sweating.

"Lucius, what happened?"

The wizard walked towards an empty couch, and fell onto it as unceremoniously as possible, the mask on his hand falling onto the carpet.

"Potter happened," he said. "We have a new master."

She looked at him as if Lucius had grown two heads.

"What?"

"Potter. The Sith Lord. He appeared before us and… Dear God, I've never seen so much power!"

This was concerning. Narcissa wondered what exactly had Potter done to cause this much panic on her husband. "What did he do Lucius?"

"He used that Sith magic of his to control us and shoot lightning at us," he said. "He forced us on our knees. All of us at the same time! Not even the Imperius curse can do that. Where's Draco?"

"In his bedroom."

Lucius called for a house-elf, ordering the creature to summon his son to the living room. A few moments later, Draco arrived, looking quite annoyed.

"Yes father?" he asked, only then noticing the state of his father.

"Sit down Draco. We have to talk."

The teen quietly sat down next to his mother, glancing at the fallen mask.

"I'm sure you know that Harry Potter, or Dramath Hord, will be this year at Hogwarts as a Sith emissary."

Draco nodded.

"Then listen carefully. Do not, under any circumstance, antagonize Potter, directly or indirectly, is that understood?" commanded Lucius. "You are to treat him as if he was the Dark Lord himself."

"But wh-"

"Because he's our new master Draco. That boy has surpassed the Dark Lord in every single way," he said. "His very presence made the air cold, as if the boy was a Dementor."

Narcissa and Draco looked worriedly at Lucius, the two wondering the kind of impact that the Sith Lord had on the Malfoy patriarch, and how much would their lives change because of this. After all, only a fool would stand against one of the Sith and hope to live.

* * *

**Cordelia Rothes's Estate, Perth, Scotland (U.K.)**

The usually green tint of the greenhouse had been replaced by a reddish glow, as the lightsaber of Cordelia Rothes illuminated the area. On the floor was no blood, but simply the severed head of a would-be assassin, and the body next to it.

The Lord of Scotland knew that taking control of the Sith of Scotland would prove to be a rather challenging task, and eliminating her husband had been a great step in securing control. Yet it seemed that some individuals were not pleased with the power shift. These assassins were proving to be bolder than ever before, and she knew very well that no Sith of hers could be trusted to deal with the task of going after those who desired her death.

It seemed that she had to resort once more to outside help.

* * *

**Hogwarts School, Highlands, Scotland (U.K)**

The day had finally arrived, and the Great Hall of Hogwarts was filled with students, both old and new, and together with the professors at the High Table, they ate a magnificent feast. To Harry, this amount of food was rather excessive, but then again, there were many students, some with greater stomachs than others. And he had to admit he was rather enjoying himself, finding the food quite tasty.

At the end, when everyone had finished and the plates were magically cleaned, Dumbledore rose from his chair and quickly walked towards the podium

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! Before you all trot off to bed, I must give a few notices."

Harry listened as Dumbledore spoke of some list of forbidden objects and how certain locations were off bounds for students. He then moved to another topic, apparently the Triwizard Tournament his father had mentioned, but was interrupted by the sudden arrival of a man, who walked towards the staff table and sat down. Dumbledore introduced him as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody.

Harry glanced at the man, and immediately could tell that something was wrong with him. Yet he could not perceive what exactly it was. There was a certain maliciousness that emanated from the man's thoughts, but it oddly enough had no clear target. He would have to keep a close eye on this Professor Moody.

Dumbledore continued to speak about the tournament, and how Hogwarts would host the event, alongside two other schools, who would compete. There was a lot of excited whispers amongst the students, and there was a cry of outrage when Dumbledore announced that only those of seventeen years or older would be able to compete. After everyone had calmed down and the rest was explained, Dumbledore moved to the final topic.

"Now, unrelated to the Triwizard Tournament, I have the pleasure to announce that Hogwarts will also be host to an emissary of the Sith Order," he said, causing many whispers amongst the older students. And at this, Harry decided to rise from his seat. "I introduce to you, Harry Potter, otherwise known as Dramath Hord, one of the Sith Lords."

As Harry approached the podium, with Dumbledore stepping aside, there were gasps of surprise at his appearance. Many had heard rumours of Harry Potter's return and his involvement with the Sith, but believed it to be exactly that. Rumours, nothing else.

For it to be confirmed, it was quite a shock.

"Thank you, headmaster, for the introduction, and for the opportunity to be here," said Harry. "As your headmaster said, I am Dramath Hord, recently elevated to the rank of Sith Lord by our leader himself. My presence here at Hogwarts is merely to study wizardkind for my personal research, and also to train my apprentice, who sits amongst yourselves. Some of you may know his identity, but I will not divulge it. You shall learn in time."

There was absolute silence, but many glances between the students, and even the professors, the latter somewhat surprised and worried with this development.

"I am aware that some of you know nothing about the Sith and our society, but I ask that you do not continuously come to me with questions. Ask your fellow students, your teachers, or read books from the library here at Hogwarts, and you'll learn of us, and of our relationship with wizardkind."

There was a moment when it seemed that Harry was about to return to his seat, but he then turned back to the four tables.

"A friendly warning, though, for now and for the future. Never cross a Sith. Your hero Merlin learned that the hard way."


	23. Conspiracy

_**Chapter 23 – Conspiracy** _

**Hogwarts School, Highlands, Scotland (U.K)**

Formerly the office of one Professor Merrythought, the room had been prepared to serve as Harry's quarters during his stay at Hogwarts. He had to admit, it was a rather pleasant room, and the balcony gave him an amazing view of the castle's grounds. But the main feature of the office was its spaciousness, which was a rather useful characteristic, considering he needed to train Theodore in the Sith ways.

His Sith ways, that is.

And thus, that had been the first thing he did the next day, after Theodore's classes were finished. His apprentice had quickly headed to his quarters, and prepared himself for what was to come.

"Hello Theodore," said Harry, wearing a simple dark attire. "Leave your bag by the door, and take out your lightsaber."

Theodore nodded. "Yes master."

The teen followed Harry's commands, and soon the two Sith were standing in front of each other. Harry was the first to ignite the lightsaber, Theodore following suit.

"So, apprentice, let us begin."

Harry moved far quicker than Theodore had anticipated, and to his luck and skill he managed to block the blow from his master, the two blades clashing with a bright flash.

"Impressive. You have improved" stated Harry. "But I trained under both the Sith Overlord, and the greatest lightsaber duellist of the Sith for many years. That is nothing compared to what I can do."

What followed was a basic cycle of strike and block from both Sith, a regular type of training for Theodore. Harry had been focusing on instructing Theodore in the usage of the Contention Form of lightsaber combat, the constant repetition being a key component on his apprentice's improvement. He did not know how long it had passed since this session had begun, but at the end, Theodore certainly looked tired. Constant training would eventually improve his stamina as well, although he would have to shift sometimes to teaching him the ways of the Force, instead of just focusing on lightsaber combat.

"We shall continue tomorrow, Theodore," said Harry. "You may go and rest."

The apprentice nodded. "Thank you, my master."

As Theodore left, Harry sat on a sofa, admittedly feeling a bit worn from the training as well. He spent a few minutes there, pondering on trivial matters and staring into nothingness, but was brought back to reality by the sound of his personal holoprojector beeping. He quickly rose and headed towards the desk, where the device was. In those brief moments, he wondered why exactly was "common technology" incompatible with the environment of locations such as Hogwarts, saturated in the magic of these wizards. Perhaps it was their rough and primitive construction which made them vulnerable to whatever made them malfunction, or more appropriately, not function at all.

He activated the device, and watched as the image of Cordelia Rothes appeared.

"Lord Rothes," he said. "This is surprising."

"So it is, Lord Dramath," said Cordelia. "I'm afraid, that as you once required my assistance, I now require yours."

Harry walked around the desk, sitting down and placing the holoprojector on top of it.

"Do explain."

"It's no secret that I've taken control of the Symonate, with your assistance, of course, but there are those who oppose my rule with extreme effort," she said. "Today an assassin found his way into my home, but as you can see, he was dealt with. The problem comes from the fact that I cannot trust any of my people to deal with this situation."

"And how exactly would I assist you?"

"There is a group of conspirators who work against me, apparently led by a group of at least seven Sith Lords," she revealed. "There are lesser Sith amongst them, both from within and outside Scotland. This of course, comes from my seat in Gepta's council. It may also interest you that these lords are kay components of a faction which seeks to overthrow the monopoly of the Hord family over the Sith throne. Your role in the assassination of my husband may have propelled them to bolder attacks against me."

So, likely they assumed that Cordelia was proving to be an ally of his. Joining that with their other reasons to wish her family's power removed from the Sith council and Scotland as well, they were also seeking to deprive each other from valuable ally. That was indeed troubling, but there was something here that he could gain, far more than the elimination of future threats.

"Are these Sith Lord under the command of someone? Is there was top figure among them?" he asked.

Cordelia shook her head. "No. They work together, but there is no clear leader. There are however, some far more influential than others."

"I may be able to help you, then. But I require something first, necessary to what I will do to deal with them."

"Speak."

Harry smiled. "I need you to capture one of these influential Sith amongst their group. Capture, not kill. I need them alive for what I will do. Can you do it?"

"It will be tricky and difficult, considering all the problems I'm having, but it can be arranged."

"Good," he said. "Contact me again when this lord is captured. I shall continue from there."

Cordelia nodded. "So be it. Farewell, Lord Dramath."

"Farewell, Lord Rothes."

The figure of Cordelia vanished, the holoprojector automatically turning off. Harry stared blankly at the device, but slowly, the faint hint of a smile appeared on his lips. With each passing moment, everything fell into place. It was true, that riding the currents of the Force was a perilous path, but it was one whose fruits would soon be ripe for harvest.

It was time to make use of his… Death Eaters.

* * *

It was not yet time for the dinner feast, but many students were already heading to the Great Hall.

But Harry required one specific student, who would then carry out his will. He blended with the environment using the Force, his presence completely unknown to all. And he only decided to reappear upon seeing the one he desired. The time had finally come.

"Draco Malfoy."

The voice was clear and sound, the wizard freezing in his tracks upon clearly recognizing it. He turned to the source, watching as the Sith Lord approached from the statue of the architect of Hogwarts.

"Er… Lord Dramath," said Draco, nervousness cracking his voice.

The Sith Lord smiled. "I see your father brought you into the fold. Good. I have a task for you."

Draco gulped. "Yes, my lord."

Harry took a sealed envelope from his robes.

"Take this and send it to your father. I'm afraid I lack the information regarding your family's address, so you'll have to be the one to send it, as soon as possible," commanded Harry. "Oh, and don't pry. I'll know if you do, and the consequences would be… unpleasant. Do you understand?"

Well, that was a lie, if he ever heard one. He did know the address of the Malfoy residence, but Draco Malfoy didn't need to know that.

"Yes my lord," said Draco. "I'll do as you command."

"Good. Make sure you do," he said, leaving the Entrance Hall, heading back to his office.

* * *

**Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England (U.K.)**

For Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, the day had just dawned, and the two sat eating breakfast silently. As Lucius read his copy of the Daily Prophet, one of the elves popped in, giving a letter to the Malfoy patriarch. He did not recognize the seal, but turning the envelope immediately identified the sender.

"Hord," he mumbled. "What does he want?"

He opened the envelope, a small letter inside. He quickly read it, being observed by Narcissa. To her, the reactions of Lucius to whatever was written showed clear panic, but eventually settled in confusion.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's Dramath Hord. He wants a batch of Polyjuice potion as soon as possible," revealed Lucius. "He also made it clear that either once of us or Draco would be drinking it first to check for any impurities."

Of course, the Sith Lord would not trust them with the acquirement of this potion without a condition. Still, he would have done the same if he had been on Hord's place. He could quickly buy a batch of Polyjuice potion of good quality, as the "upper black market" provided its clients with proper and high-quality merchandise, compared to the "lower black market".

The question was, however, why did Hord need Polyjuice potion in the first place?

* * *

_**The Holocron:** _

**Symonate** – The name given to the "Sith territory" controlled by the Rothes family, specifically the region of Scotland. This of course, refers to the Sith communities in the region. The name comes from Symon of Rothes, a medieval Scottish man who rose to the rank of Sith Lord and unified the Sith factions of Scotland, and founded the Rothes family.


	24. Deceit

_**Chapter 24 – Deceit** _

Harry looked eagerly at the figure of Lucius Malfoy, watching as the man took hold of a glass filled with a foul looking substance, drinking it as quickly as he could. He had promised Lucius Malfoy that he would test it on either him or another of his family, and he kept his word true. He didn't trust any of them. It was the only way to make sure they tried nothing.

The expression on Lucius's face was of heavy discomfort and nausea, but instants later, he began to change. Malfoy's entire body rearranged itself to look like that of a random non-wizard Harry had found, and it seemed that the process had been done with no problem.

"Amazing," he muttered. He really had to try and translate the effects of this potion into an artefact of his own creation. "How long does it last?"

"It depends on how much you drink," answered Lucius. "I advise you to take a flash, just in case."

Despite the current success of this endeavour, Harry had earlier bumped into a wall. The drinker of the potion could only turn into another of his own species, meaning a human could only turn into a human, and a Sith could only turn into a Sith. He could be under an alchemical illusion, but his insides were still biologically Sith.

He had informed Cordelia that he required a Pureblood Sith Lord, and not a human one, as that would disrupt his plan. And she had been able to provide. And so did Lucius. Now, all that was left, was to put his plan into action.

* * *

**Cordelia Rothes's Estate, Perth, Scotland (U.K.)**

"Lord Dramath, is everything prepared?"

Cordelia had been eagerly waiting for Harry's arrival. She had no idea of what the young Sith was preparing, but if he annihilated those who plotted against them, she could care little about Hord's methods.

"Is the prisoner available?" he asked in return.

She nodded, leading Harry into the manor's hidden dungeon. "We had to keep him constantly and heavily sedated. Otherwise he would try, and likely manage, to escape."

She led Harry into a small corridor, at the end of which was a locked metal door. Opening it, inside was a half-naked Red Sith strapped to a chair, staring vaguely at the horizon that was his cell's wall.

"Lord Lorus," said Harry recognising the Sith. "How interesting."

The prisoner was a well-known Sith Lord, and his continuous absence would certainly not go unnoticed, especially by his allies. He had to act, and quickly.

"Do you have his equipment?" asked Harry.

Cordelia nodded. "It's stored in another room."

Harry approached the Sith Lord, and taking a pair of scissors from his robes, he cut off a part of the man's hair. At the same time, he took out his flask, dropping the hairs inside. In mere seconds, the Polyjuice potion had integrated its final ingredient, and Harry quickly drank it, the taste being extremely foul.

It took quite a bit of his will not to vomit the whole thing right there.

"Lord Dramath, what are you-"

She stopped as soon as she saw Harry's body morph into that of the prisoner. To Harry, it was not exactly a painful experience, which was by itself odd, considering his entire body, skeleton included, was changing to imitate that of another. Still, he had no complaints there.

Except his equipment was a bit small for this form.

"Lord Rothes, where is Lorus' equipment?" he asked, felling a bit constricted.

The female Sith was stunned by this change, but she quickly snapped out of it. "This way."

She led Harry into a small room, inside a chest with Lorus' robes, lightsaber, personal holoprojector, and datapad. Harry closed the door shut, changing from his apparel into that of Lorus. He spent a few minutes there examining whatever he could find in the datapad, but beyond what was already known, he found nothing.

Harry left the room, walking past Cordelia, who followed him back to Lorus' cell. The young Sith looked at the restrained man, before stepping forward, now standing right in front of him.

"Now, Lord Lorus," he muttered, his hands now touching the temples on the head of the older Sith. "Let us see what you're hiding."

Harry assaulted the other's mind with Force, Lorus trembling in a faint attempt at resisting. Whatever was in his body was preventing any resistance from him, both physical and mental.

"Your conspirators… who are they?" said Harry. "Ah, I see. And how do you act… what are your mannerisms? How can I become you?"

There was a long moment of silence. Cordelia watched silently as Harry invaded the mind of their rival and looked eagerly as the young Sith removed his hands from the man's head, turning around to look at her.

"We're ready."

* * *

**Hideout**

Harry would be lying if he said he was not feeling nervous, because he was. He was in completely hostile territory, and this was to be the crux of his ultimate plan. Failure was not an option now, and he had to make sure everything went smoothly. The Force clouded his mind from the thoughts of others, making him invulnerable to mental invasions, something which was certain to happen in these circumstances.

The hideout of these Sith was… undignified. To have their headquarters in the sewers of a random town… it may be useful, but still. Of course, the chambers they used were outside of the normal structure of the sewers, instead in a derelict area which had apparently been abandoned by the looks of it. The meeting room of these Sith was filled with classroom tables and chairs, all positioned in a way that made it look like a round table.

He knew from the memories of Lorus which chair was the one he usually occupied.

"Accursed sewers…" he grumbled as he entered the room, several Sith already inside.

"Pleasant voyage Lorus?" mocked another Sith Lord. A female human, to be precise.

Three factors allowed him to know the identities of those present - the memories of Lorus, his datapad, and the fact that Harry had seen two of these Sith before. The woman who had 'greeted' him was called Theresa Reeve, a relatively unknown Sith Lord from England.

"No, it was not," he snarled whilst sitting down. "Having to sneak past by them up there… and the smell…"

"May we know the reason you summoned us here, then?" asked another, this one a Norwegian Sith Lord called Daniel Mellum. "Your tone made it look like something… important."

"Yes, of course. I have made a breakthrough," he announced.

"A breakthrough?"

Harry-Lorus nodded. "During my research of the ancient lords, I found documentation regarding a ritual used long ago. One which may be of critical use for us."

"What kind of ritual?" asked Elcho, a male Pureblood.

The smile on Harry-Lorus' face was nothing more than smug. "It essentially causes a forced vision in the Force for the users, allowing them to see the future. This could be exactly what we need to finish off both Hord and Rothes."

There was a pause for silent consideration amongst the lords, and eventually one of them, Delyth, spoke.

"And you know this ritual, yes?" she asked. "What exactly prevents you from using it against us?"

"Simple. The ritual only works properly when done by several Sith at the same time. A single Sith only produces insufficient results."

"What does this ritual need then?" inquired Theresa.

"Beyond the several Sith, it requires a… focus point of sorts. One which receive all the latent Force energy, and will then release it to create the vision," explained Harry-Lorus. "And I already have the perfect place for this ritual."

"You do?"

"There's an ancient Sith Temple, built on an island in the Arctic Sea. It has been abandoned for centuries, and most of it is in ruins. However, it's entrance hall features a large obelisk which is perfect for the ritual."

No lies there.

"Any drawbacks to this Lorus? You are asking much of us in this… scheme of yours," asked an aged Sith.

"The only drawback is the loss of time, in the event of it not working," answered Harry-Lorus. "If it does work…"

There was a moment of silence, followed by whispers amongst those present.

"Any objections to this ritual?" asked Lord Elcho.

There were murmurs and whispers, the Sith debating amongst themselves if this was a wise action to take. It took a while, but eventually all fell silent, and Harry felt the rush of victory seeping into his bones.

"It is decided then. We need the coordinates to this temple of yours."

Harry nodded, taking Lorus's datapad from his robes. "I shall send them to you. Any suggestions of when to perform the ritual?"

"As soon as possible!" voiced one of the Sith.

There were murmur of agreement, of which Harry would be gladly part of. He too wanted the ritual to be done as soon as possible. Alas, while he knew that several of these traitorous Sith were valuable in their own way, their attempts at treachery had already sealed their fate, and thus were of no other use to him. He knew that their sacrifice, although unwilling and unwitting, would prove essential in the ascendancy of the Sith.

He was going to make sure of it.


	25. Bound in Darkness

_ **Chapter 25 – Bound in Darkness** _

**Ministry of Magic, London, England (U.K.)**

Whenever the students returned to Hogwarts, the Improper Use of Magic Office had a rather severe reduction in work. There were, of course, other matters, such as enforcing the International Statute of Secrecy, but it was rather rare whenever they had to act on any violations. There was, of course, Carlotta Pinkstone and her constant attempts at revealing magic to the muggles, but right now, she was once more in Azkaban. James had the unfortunate task of apprehending her, back when he was a minor member of the Office, and he had experienced first-hand Pinkstone's trickery and wandless magic. It took a while to capture her, but they eventually did so.

But all that was years ago, and now his work mostly consisted of sitting behind a desk, while reading and signing documents, and writing reports for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. And as he did exactly this, James was only distracted by a knock on his office's door.

"Yes?"

It opened, his secretary entering. "Sir, Lord Amelius Nott is here. He requests an immediate meeting with you."

Nott? Why exactly was Amelius Nott here? As far as he knew, he had no dealings with the Nott family, and Nott himself was in no trouble with his office. There was still the fact that Nott's son was Harry's apprentice, but beyond that…

"Let him in."

He had to know what exactly Nott wanted.

The secretary nodded, leaving. Moments later, Amelius Nott entered the room, wearing rather plain robes, which James regarded as an odd choice for the aristocrat.

"Good morning Nott," said James. "What is it that brings you here?"

Amelius nodded, sitting down. "Potter," he greeted. "I need to speak with you about Fudge."

That was a surprise.

"Fudge? What about him?"

"I'm sure you know that his decision to… revive the Triwizard Tournament, together with this whole mess surrounding the attack during the World Cup, have done little good to improve his image. In fact, it did the opposite."

James was quite unsure of what Nott was getting at. He was aware of Fudge's recent unpopularity amongst the Ministry staff and the populace, but he had no idea what he had to do with that. Nor why Nott was talking to him about it.

"So?"

"Me and several associates have reached the conclusion that Fudge no longer has the ability to lead our world. We need a new Minister."

There was no doubt that Nott's influence, together with that of others, was enough to topple Fudge from the office of Minister. It was something that James was certain of, for he too could do the same thing with help from others.

"And why tell me this?" he asked.

"Because my associates and I believe that the best replacement for Cornelius is none other than you."

If James had to tell someone three days ago that Amelius Nott would enter his office and try to convince him to run to Minister for Magic, he would be laughed at, and possibly admitted into St Mungo's fourth floor as a victim of some badly done spell which messed up his mind.

"You what?"

"There have been no Triwizard Tournaments for two centuries, something which bothered no one. A relic of more dangerous times, when Hogwarts and the other schools had a more… martial curriculum," said Amelius. "Today, neither Hogwarts, nor Beauxbatons, nor Durmstrang, are prepared for such a tournament, especially considering that the three tasks have been selected from those of previous tournaments. This unilateral decision from Fudge did not please many people, especially since Bagman was also behind it."

"I was not aware that Bagman was unpopular in the Ministry," remarked James.

"Ludovic may be many things, but he's neither a politician, nor a bureaucrat. The man's more concerned about sports and bets than anything else. This is his chance for glory… and money as well, since he'll likely bet on one of the champions. Regardless, many believe that Fudge's recent choices have been quite improper for someone who's supposed to be the Minister for Magic. I'm certain that your son's encounters with the Dementors last year comes to mind, no?"

James frowned. He remembered very well that Michael had been assaulted by the Dementors several times last year at Hogwarts and had come far too close to being 'kissed' by one of them. And despite pressuring Fudge to remove the Dementors from Hogwarts, the man had been far too stubborn and refused. What good that did, for Peter managed to not only enter the castle, but also escape it.

And Fudge somehow managed to escape being hit by the media for it. Possibly because someone who wanted him to remain in power was protecting him. And if he was correct, this someone was one of Nott's associates, which meant that this protection no longer existed.

"I admit I'm intrigued. What would it take, then?"

"You already have what it takes to become Minister, Potter. All you need to do, it to put those skills to use. My associates and I will take care of making the position vacant – don't worry, nothing illegal. But be prepared when the time comes."

James nodded. "We'll see."

Amelius stood up, nodding as well. He went to the door, but before leaving the room, he turned to James.

"I hope for your success, and so does your son."

That brought James's attention back. "My son?"

"Oh, yes. Lord Dramath is watching your actions with great interest. I would not wish to disappoint him. Until another day, Potter."

He left the room, leaving behind a very thoughtful James Potter. Those parting words did confirm something which he had not thought about before. He was now certain that Harry was behind whatever game Nott and his people were playing, not to mention the fact that he had referred to him as 'Lord'.

He was not stupid. Harry's unexpected insistence that he ignore Malfoy's basement, even after he himself had revealed to him its existence, was suspicious, and the fact that both Malfoy and Nott were undoubtedly Death Eaters, made him reach one conclusion.

They now served a new master.

* * *

**Jan Mayen, Norway**

Harry stood in front of the entrance of the hidden temple, in the depths of a dark cave which had not been visited by any living soul in centuries. He alone had travelled here a few times before, to prepare things for the upcoming ritual, and now, this would hopefully be the last time he was going to set foot here.

The other Sith arrived gradually, their numbers increasing, and so did Harry's excitement, which he kept hidden as much as possible. That little which he could not contain, the others assumed to be directed at the possibility of toppling the Hord clan.

"Lorus!"

He turned to the voice, Elcho approaching him.

"Yes?"

"Everyone is here. Shall we proceed."

"Finally! Let's get inside, the obelisk in in the main entrance hall."

The other Sith gathered behind Harry-Lorus, as he led them into the depths of the temple. The main corridor was somewhat filled with rubble and collapsed passages, but the way into the large chamber was clear. They soon entered, the platform in front of them showing a grand hall below, at its centre a large obelisk, somewhat damaged by time, but intact enough that it would work perfectly for the ritual.

"All of you, get down there, and form a circle around the obelisk. I'll direct the ritual from here," he spoke.

The others followed his commands, and soon enough, Harry was looking down at those who would be the key to his ascension. There was no time to loose.

"Focus the dark side towards the obelisk. Draw your power there, and concentrate deeply, so that the vision may come to all of you successfully."

In moments, waves of dark side energy poured into the obelisk, washing over the room and beyond. To Harry, the sensation of power was exhilarating, but he was not there for that. He raised his hands, directing them to the obelisk, and then he spoke in the high tongue of the Sith.

"Tsamria iw hadzuska, nisosûti iw jina'tis, diridhan iw tutsatsa diâ anmudzuna! Mirji iw midwan diâ dwasi, dorizi sis kûrja ji'as ki waria!"

His eyes glowed purple, and lightning poured from his fingers and into the obelisk, engulfing it with his own power, and drawing in that of the Sith below. In those few seconds, the shift in the dark side was felt by all those present, alerting them to the danger. Yet it was too late for all of them. They had, unwittingly, given themselves fully for the ritual, both in body and soul.

Bolts of lightning shot from the obelisk, hitting each of the Sith in the chamber below. They screamed, wailed, and groaned, as they were all bound to the ancient ritual of Narmer, not knowing what their true fate yet was.

"Lorus, what treachery is this?" shouted Elcho, feeling his own strength sapped away.

"I would ask you the same thing, Lord Elcho, but I already know the answer. But I'll satisfy your curiosity. This ritual does not give any vision to its users. No… its true purpose is known only to me. It binds you to an anchor, and drains away the Force energy within you. First, from your body… and then your very essence," he revealed. "There's no escape from it, no escape from this room, this temple. This ritual I performed will seep into the minds of all of those who are not touched by the Force as we are and bind them to my will."

In this, he followed the footsteps of Narmer, who had done the exact same thing millennia ago, yet in a smaller scale, binding the peoples of ancient Egypt to his will. He could not have done it in such a scale as he was doing now, for the Jedi, who had been looking for survivors of the Hyperspace War, would be certainly attracted by the disturbance. But a long time had passed since them, and now their pursuit was of no concern.

In enough weeks, the entire planet would be covered in a cloud of the dark side, his will being transmitted to all non-Force-sensitives and forcing them to follow his command. Yet it was not a full-scale mind control. They would adore him, and follow his every command without question, but beyond that, they would still go one with their lives. Nothing different about that.

"I would love to remain and chat, but I'm afraid I have things to do. Erasing this temple from history is one of them. Don't bother to use your datapads or lightsabers, the ritual fried them," he declared. "Farewell you lot. It was a pleasure."

And so, Harry left the temple, leaving behind him the screams and shouts of many Sith, who now were the fuel of his ambitions.


	26. Seeking the Stars

_**Chapter 26 – Seeking the Stars** _

**Sith Citadel, Ragnos**

The presence of the dark side of the Force was nothing new across Earth, specifically for the Sith. It was no surprise when virtually all of them felt the tremor in the Force, almost as if the dark side itself was warning them about something. Never had a shift of such a magnitude been felt by the Sith for many generations, so it was no wonder that all became alarmed by the disturbance.

Yet there was one who suspected the origin of such a disturbance in the Force. And the suspicions of Gepta Hord soon proved to be true.

"Dramath, whatever you have done, tread carefully."

Having just entered the Overlord's sanctum, Harry stared at his grand-uncle and former master with surprise.

"My lord?"

Gepta's cheek tendrils began to quiver, the man raising an eyebrow at Harry's question.

"There was a disturbance in the Force a few hours ago. One felt by all in Ragnos, and likely all those touched by the Force on this world. And now you enter this sanctum, the Force trembling around your body, reeking of dark side energies."

Now there was a flaw in his plan's execution if he ever saw one. Everything had gone according to plan, yet the fact that binding several powerful Sith Lords to a dark side ritual of such a scale would likely cause a disturbance in the Force had completely eluded him. Yet Gepta's words seemed strikingly odd to him.

"Do you feel threatened, Lord Gepta?" asked Harry, nearly growling the words.

The Sith Overlord was amused. "Threatened? No… not yet. You have strength in the Force, the like of which I have never seen before. But you are young and not properly experienced. The death of Malcolm Rothes was merely a step you took. You have yet to fully climb the stairs, to cross the line that separates a true Sith from a mindless warrior or assassin."

Harry tried to keep himself calm, seeking to prevent his body from betraying his emotions to the Sith Lord in front of him. Yet it seemed he had failed.

"Surprised? Your contact with Cordelia Rothes was not unnoticed by others, so why would I be the exception? It is no secret that Malcolm died shortly after your meeting with her, alongside all the forces inside his stronghold. It is easy to reach a conclusion after… how do the young say… connecting all the dots," affirmed Gepta. "Be certain that other Lords are also certain of your hand in Rothes' death."

That meant that other Sith Lords would be even more interested in his endeavours. The prospect of such a thing was abhorrent, but if he was successful here today, then he would not have to worry about them for quite a while.

"I know, my lord," he replied.

"Be sure you do," said Gepta. "I invested many years in you, and don't want that investment to go to waste. Now, why have you come?"

Well, this was it. Time to see if he could proceed into the next phase of his plan.

"I've been thinking over the last few days about a few things, specifically the contents of the datapad I retrieved," he admitted. "You said they were the launch codes for our ships, right?"

"They restore a special algorithm to the software of the ships' systems, which were removed on Narmer's orders," clarified Gepta. "Without those, several of the systems won't start."

"But, couldn't we have created a new software for those ships?" asked Harry.

"No. Those ships respond specifically to that software, and we couldn't reverse engineer it without the missing parts. But now that we have them, we can do that and more."

Harry nodded, preparing himself to make his request.

"I've come to ask you for permission to take a ship and scout the galaxy," he said.

Gepta looked at him for a few seconds, his face impassive, before finally speaking.

"Why?"

"Well, to see the state of the galaxy, and bring information to the Sith for when we return to the stars," said Harry. "As I said, scouting."

The Sith Overlord turn to look at the window, gazing silently at the city below. Harry was both eager and patient, desiring to know the answer, yet aware that pressing the Overlord would do him no good.

"Are you certain of this, Dramath? It's not a voyage one does lightly. Millennia have passed since the Great War. The state of the galaxy is utterly unknown to us."

"More the reason to go!" spoke Harry. "Knowledge is power, is it not?"

He heard Gepta mumbling something unintelligible, before turning around once more, this time looking directly at him.

"Very well. You may go. Perhaps this will do you some good as well," declared Gepta. "I'll have one of the ships prepared for you. You still remember the training of your simulations, do you not?"

"I do," nodded Harry.

"Good. I shall contact you when the ship is ready. Now, is there anything else?"

"No, Lord Gepta."

"You may leave, then."

And Harry did so.

* * *

**Hogwarts School, Highlands, Scotland (U.K)**

The absence of his Sith master made Theodore rely only on self-training, using what he had been already taught and repeating those very things in an attempt to master them. It's not like he had any other choice, after all. He made use of a secluded and unused classroom to do said training, so he was safe from disturbances from either the staff or other students.

The books and holocrons provided by his master were very useful, and led to Theodore learning quite a few interesting things, such as the origins of the Dementors, the creatures having been created by an ancient Sith Lord called Erato, who had sought an alternative to the overly large Leviathans.

Yet the beeping from his holoprojector led to an interruption of his studies. He knew already it was Dramath, which led Theodore to wonder what his master wanted. Activating the device, he watched as the figure of the Sith Lord appeared.

"What is thy bidding, my master?" he asked.

"Pack your things Theodore," announced Harry in a rather giddy way. "We're going to explore the galaxy."

Wait, what?

"Explore the galaxy?"

He saw the hologram of the Sith Lord groaning.

"Long story made short. The Sith come from a planet called Korriban, which is where the Jedi Exiles arrived before conquering the ancient Sith. My ancestors then came to this world after a great war with the Jedi and the Republic. One which we lost," revealed Harry. "We're going to scout the galaxy for a while, and then return here. I shall train you on the way."

The Sith Lord terminated the connection, and Theodore watched silently as he looked at the flickering blue light emanating from the small device. In this, a single thought erupted in his mind.

" _What the hell did I get myself into?"_

* * *

**Hangar 01, Ragnos**

It took a few hours before he was called again by Gepta, this time to one of the hangars, where the ship had been prepared for him. One of the few surviving Hydra-class freighters, maintained over the centuries by the Zuguruk, much like what remained of the Sith fleet.

"Lord Dramath! We were told to expect you arrival," said an obsidian-skinned Sith.

"And you are?" questioned Harry.

The Zuguruk bowed. "Senemut, private engineer of Lord Gepta. I was instructed to prepare your ship for departure, and to provide you with information."

Harry nodded.

"Please, come with me," requested Senemut, as he began to walk towards the ship.

Harry followed the man, watching as the other engineers inspected the vessel.

"The Hydra-class was one of the last types of ships developed by the Sith Empire before its fall. It was designed to be a private transport, capable of being flown with or without a complete crew. It is, of course, equipped with an hyperdrive, a shield generator, two autoblasters and two laser cannons, and a cloaking device."

"Sounds expensive."

"It was my lord," confirmed Senemut. "Little demand for the Hydra-class. Hence why few were made. Regardless, at the time it was a pristine example of our empire's engineering."

Harry followed Senemut as he entered the ship. There was a small corridor, and he immediately entered a wide circular room with an holoprojector in the middle, part of it surrounded by seats. There were a few consoles on the walls, and at least three entrances to other hallways.

"This is the main hold of the ship. Besides the cockpit, there are also a master bedroom, crew quarters, a single cargo hold, medical bay, and a meditation chamber," explained the Zuguruk. "Also, while the ship is armed, I would not suggest going into battle with it, as we don't know how much the rest of the galaxy has advanced in technology."

Harry nodded, agreeing with Senemut. As long as he could avoid it, he would not be going into battle with the Hydra-class. He valued his life very much for that.

"What about the navigation charts?" he asked. "Are they updated?"

Millennia had passed since the Great Hyperspace War, and the position of the stars had certainly changed since then. How much, Harry did not know, but they had certainly moved.

"Indeed they have my Lord. I've already uploaded the data to the ship's navigation computer. The ship is fuelled and ready to take off."

Harry felt very satisfied. Soon enough, he would be the first Sith to return to the stars.

"Lord Gepta also provided a few things for your departure. I've taken the liberty of ordering them sorted in the cargo hold," continued Senemut. "If you follow me, I'll show you."

The two went into the cargo hold, the room mostly empty, except for a few containers. Senemut walked to one of these, opening it. The interior was filled with quite small golden ingots, each with a small engraving which resembled the letter Resh.

"What are these?" asked Harry.

"Republic Credit ingots," replied the engineer. "Taken from Republic worlds during the war. Lord Gepta figured you may have need of these. However, their current value is unknown to us."

"I see…"

It would be problematic if this money was worthless to him when in what was supposed to be Republic space… if the Republic still existed, that is. For all the Sith new, they could have fractured long ago. Or perhaps been conquered by another force.

Time would tell. It always did.

* * *

_**Author's Note:** _

The Hydra-class freighter is a creation of mine, and it doesn't exist in either the Legends or Disney universes of Star Wars. Imagine it as an archaic variant of the Fury-class interceptor, in the style of the Sith Empire ships from Tales of the Jedi, instead of the Galactic Empire-like style of the Imperial ships from the Old Republic MMO.

* * *

_**The Holocron:** _

**Erato –** Born in the Caucasus region in the year of 143 BC, she was the daughter of Artaxias, a Human Sith Lord and founder of the Artaxianate. She became the apprentice of her father, and after his death she became the ruler of the Artaxianate. Seeking an alternative to the massive Leviathans, Erato created the Dementors, imbuing them with the core abilities of the Leviathans, with some new additions. She died in 86 BC, and by the late 20th century, the Artaxianate was ruled by one of her descendants.

 **Zuguruk** – The second-highest caste of the Sith species, above the Massassi and below the Kissai. The Kuguruk are engineers, being tasked with the design and construction of machines, engines, and buildings, as well as their maintenance.

 **Hydra-class freighter** – A type of freighter which began to be produced by the Sith Empire shortly before the Great Hyperspace War. Only a few of these ships were constructed, and even fewer survived the conflict with the Republic.


	27. Jump to Lightspeed

_**Chapter 27 - Jump to Lightspeed** _

If there was one thing that Theodore quickly learned about Harry Potter, was that the Sith Lord knew how to make grand entrances. After all, landing on the grounds of Hogwarts with a ship far more technologically advanced than anything that either wizards and muggles ever created, said ship having appeared out of nowhere, was nothing but impressive. And grand.

It also had the effect of quickly attracting attention. The noise may have also been to blame for that.

The ship landed near a small group of fallen columns, Harry Potter emerging moments later from the loading ramp.

"My lord," said Theodore, bowing to the Sith Lord.

"Hello Theodore," replied Harry. "Do you have everything ready?"

Theodore nodded. "Yes, but it's all still in the common room."

"Go get you things then. We'll depart immediately."

Theodore did not have to be told twice. He left the Training Grounds as quickly as he could, heading to the castle's dungeons. But has he had predicted, the ship's arrival had managed to bring quite a few people to the area. Harry awaited near the loading ramp, his arms folded, and his face passive as he observed the students. It did not take long before more familiar faces arrived.

"Harry? Is that a… a ship?"

A faint smile appeared on Harry's lips at his brother's question.

"An Hydra-class freighter, to be precise," he answered. "My Hydra-class freighter."

"Isn't there a prohibition of space flight amongst the Sith?"

"The Overlord has made an exception for me. I'm doing… let's call it scout work."

Michael was a bit sceptical at this, wondering why a Sith Lord was doing "scout work", but he had to guess it was part of Harry's agenda.

"Why did you come here with that, then?" he asked.

"To get my apprentice. I don't know how long I'll be away, and I would be a poor teacher if I left my student unattended."

He saw the approach of a few professors, amongst them his mother and the headmaster. The others were mostly shocked with the huge machine in the grounds of Hogwarts, yet Lily was more confused than anything else.

"That's an Hydra-class," she muttered. "Harry, what are you doing with a freighter here? More than that, how do you have a freighter?"

"Scouting the galaxy," he repeated. "We need to know how everything is out there, before making our move, no?"

Being familiar with the general workings of the Sith, Lily understood the reasoning behind Harry's actions, and their backing by Gepta. Still, there was something she did not get.

"Then why are you here? Certainly not to say goodbye."

Harry snorted. "Am I that predictable? No, I didn't come here for that. I came to get my apprentice."

It was Dumbledore who then spoke.

"Apprentice? I'm afraid you can't do that, Mr. Potter. Students cannot be removed from Hogwarts during the school year."

"If a student is Harry's apprentice, then he has every right to do that," announced Lily. "The treaty clearly states that any wizard who is taken under the wing of a Sith, then falls under the jurisdiction of said Sith."

Dumbledore frowned, but even he could not argue with that. He was not about to break a treaty in what could lead to a bloody war between wizardkind and the Sith.

Moments later, Theodore had returned, carrying a large bag.

"That's it?" asked Harry, surprised and confused. A bag of that size seemed quite small to carry all the things that Theodore went to collect.

"It's bigger on the inside," said Theodore, noticing the confusion on the Sith Lord's face.

"Ah! Well, get inside then."

Theodore walked towards the loading ramp, a bit overwhelmed with the ship's size and existence. As he did so, Harry turned towards his mother.

"Until another day mother," he said before turning to his twin. "Brother."

Michael nodded, while Lily simply stared as she watched Harry enter the ship, the ramp closing as he disappeared into its interior.

* * *

Theodore had never seen anything like this. The ship was almost another world on itself, and he knew there that this would be he true first step away from the wizarding world, and into another one. One much larger, and far more terrifying, if he had to be honest to himself.

"Welcome to what will likely be your home for the next days, weeks, or months."

Harry had entered the ship at last, the entrance ramp closing behind him.

"It's… different from what I'm used to," admitted Theodore.

"Well, it's also my first time on a ship… well, the second time," said the Sith Lord. "Well, prepare yourself for what coming then. There are entire worlds out there which are covered by a single city… at least according to the records. Well, come with me."

Harry led Theodore to the cargo hold of the ship, the Sith apprentice familiarizing himself with the ship as Harry explained the various sections they passed through.

"This is the cargo hold of the ship. In order words, storage," he said. "Put your stuff here and follow me to the main hold."

Doing as he was told, Theodore followed Harry to the main section of the ship.

"So, where are we going? Do we have a planned route?" he asked.

Harry nodded as he activated the holoprojector. "We do."

An image of their sector of the galaxy appeared, revealing a group of key star systems.

"This is the Stygian Caldera, once ruled in its entirety by the Sith Empire," he said, before pointing to a star. "That's the Sol system, where we currently are. From here, we can go to the galactic northwest in a direct route to Athiss. From there we go to Ziost, former capital of the empire, and from there we scout the inner caldera, before heading to Korriban, homeworld of the Sith."

As Harry spoke, he pointed to the respective systems, before finally deactivating the device, motioning Theodore to follow him. The two teenagers headed to the cockpit, three seats there, one of them in a small circular platform, the chair having several buttons and small command panels, clearing indicating it was the captain's seat. In front of it, the ship's main controls.

"Take one of those two seats," ordered Harry.

Theodore nodded, sitting on the left one. Harry sat on the main seat and began to prepare the ship for launch. In moments, the ship began to rise, and he could see the people outside moving away from the ship as quickly as possibly. Eventually, the ship was as high as the astronomy tower's peak, and Harry activated the cloaking device. Soon enough, they had left the planet, the celestial body behind them now becoming smaller as they moved away from it.

Harry was excited. From Ragnos to Hogwarts, he had flown low, not leaving the planet's atmosphere. But now… it was the first time he had ever did this. And he was the first Sith to do so in millennia. He turned the ship around, before stopping it, allowing them to look at the planet.

"Wow," muttered Theodore. "It's huge."

"We're the first Sith to step foot outside of Earth for thousands of years. It's surreal," said Harry.

Theodore nodded numbly. "Yeah…"

"Well, time to turn around."

Harry turned the ship around and began to plot the ship's course to Athiss.

"Now sure what to expect Theodore… but prepare yourself for lightspeed."

A few buttons were pressed, and the ship was automatically turned to it's target. Seconds later, the stars became elongated lines, expending past the ship, before a bright flash of light replaced them with a blue tunnel.

"Welcome to hyperspace, I guess."

* * *

_**Author's Note:** _

Keeping in line with post-ROTJ EU, in which Ziost appears intact, the Destruction of Ziost never happened in this universe. Instead, it was Athiss, another of the Sith Worlds, which Vitiate targeted.


	28. The Sith Worlds

_**Chapter 28 – The Sith Worlds** _

Harry sat alone inside the cockpit, silently staring at the hyperspace tunnel. According to the navigation computer, they would reach the Loro Babis system in fifteen minutes. Theodore had been exploring the ship during this time, familiarizing himself with all the sections, so he had no idea where exactly the apprentice was.

Minutes before, Harry had decided to seek information regarding Athiss from the ship's database, and also from the holocrons he had. Apparently, it was a part-forest, part-barren world which once served as a mining outpost for the Sith Empire. In other worlds, it was of little interest for Harry, compared to the other worlds of the Stygian Caldera. Nevertheless, it was a necessary stop.

The Sith spent so immersed on his own thoughts, that before he knew it, less than a minute was left before reaching Athiss.

"Theodore!" he called out.

Moments later, Harry heard his apprentice enter the cockpit.

"Yes master?"

"We're arriving at Athiss," announced Harry. "And we're exiting hyperspace… now!"

There was a bright flash of light outside, and the blue tunnel disappeared, replaced by elongated stars which quickly returned to their normal shapes, and a planet appearing out of nowhere in front of them.

"Woah!"

Harry remained in awed silence, but he had to agree with Theodore.

" _Woah indeed…"_

They had arrived at last at Athiss, and it was no surprise that the two young Sith were in awe at the sudden appearance of the world right upon leaving hyperspace. Yet that awe vanished just as suddenly as it had appeared.

"There's something… wrong here."

He felt something, or rather, he did not feel anything at all. Athiss was… a void drifting in space, and opposed to the descriptions of the world, there was no visible forest. In fact, the planet was as barren as it could be.

"What is it?" asked Theodore.

"I don't know," admitted Harry. "Something must have happened here, but I'm not sure what."

The ship approached the planet, stopping short of reaching the exosphere. Having far more training in the ways of the Force, Harry immediately realized what was wrong with Athiss. The world was a void in the Force, a black hole which hungered to devour any thing touched by the Force.

"I feel… odd. As if a Dementor was nearby," muttered Theodore, visibly shivering, who then turned to Harry. "What's happening?"

Harry shook his head. "Something stripped this entire planet of the Force. There's nothing here but death and emptiness."

"We're not going down there, are we?" asked Theodore, his self-preservation instincts flaring up.

"No. That would likely be a death sentence for both of us. We're getting out of here."

Harry turned the ship around, and began to plot a new destination.

"So, Ziost is next, right?"

"Yep," confirmed Harry. "Hopefully it is in a better state than this one."

It wasn't long before they entered hyperspace once more, and minutes later, the ship left the strange dimension, finally reaching Ziost.

"And here we are at last. Ziost, the capital of the old empire."

In front of them was an icy world, unremarkable in any shape or form. Harry had begun to fly towards the planet, having the ship's map provide them a course to the ancient citadel of Ajunta Pall.

"Is it supposed to look like this?" asked Theodore, wondering how a frozen world could be the capital of an interstellar empire. Then again, they could have always imported necessary resources such as food from other worlds.

"Apparently. Ziost is always described as a world covered in ice and tundras," replied Harry. "Still, no idea why they picked this one as a capital. Most likely it was a nexus of dark side energies."

The area where the Sith Citadel was supposed to be was under a cloudy sky, and to their luck, it was day in this section of Ziost. Good visibility was always a plus.

"There's the citadel," pointed out Harry.

A multitude of ancient towering buildings and statues surrounded the massive Sith Citadel, time having taken its toll on the structures. Harry spotted one of the citadel's landing pads, and flew the ship there.

"There's some sort of city in the distance," noticed Theodore, pointing towards the location.

"None which the records mention. It must have been built after the Great War," remaked the Sith Lord.

This brought new thoughts to Harry's mind. There had been no interference with his landing, and there were no signs of any galactic power in the region. Therefore, if there was a city near the Sith Citadel, then it was likely abandoned. Not only that, but since this was a new city, built so near a monument of the Sith, who suffered little to no modifications, then it was likely that they had not been the only sect of the old empire to survive the Republic's attempted genocide. Of course, this was just a possibility. It was also possible that it had been built by colonists who decided that leaving the Citadel undisturbed would be in their best interests.

The landing platform was seemingly stable, allowing Harry to land there. The two Sith prepared themselves, before emerging from the loading ramp.

"This is huge," said Theodore, awed with the structure and all that surrounded it.

Harry had to agree with his apprentice. Not even the marvels of Ragnos, or anything built by the inhabitants of Earth could hope to surpass the Citadel of Ajunta Pall.

"The dark side of the Force is strong in the place," said Harry. "Our predecessors certainly left their mark here."

The two moved forward, reaching an entrance into the palace. Using the Force, Harry pried open the gates, allowing the two Sith to enter. Other than the natural light that came from the now opened gates, the interior was badly illuminated, any source of artificial light which once existed there no longer functioning.

"Keep your lightsaber at the ready," ordered Harry, igniting his, the blade now of a bronze colour, the Sith having changed the crystal within.

The apprentice followed suit, igniting the blade of the lightsaber he had constructed days before, having chosen to use a bronze crystal as well. The two delved into the depths of the citadel, quietly watching for any sort of hazard. Eventually, after an uneventful walk, the two reached a large chamber, which seemed to serve as some sort of lobby… or perhaps a lounge? Harry could not tell for certain.

"In my time, it was used as storage."

The sudden voice alarmed the two Sith, but Harry quickly recognized it, as well as the eerie presence that approached.

"Tulak."

The ghostly figure of Tulak Hord manifested itself before the two Sith, Theodore backing away from the pressuring presence of the spectre. "Master?"

"This is Tulak Hord, my ancestor and once the Dark Lord of the Sith," he explained to the apprentice. "Yet he's dead now."

Tulak chuckled, his voice echoing in the chamber's halls. As unexperienced as he was with the Force, Theodore could feel the power of the dark side emanating from this apparition. He knew by experience that the ghosts of Hogwarts were completely harmless… at least physically. Sure, they usually left chucks of ectoplasm on the walls and floors, but that was more of an annoyance than a threat.

But this ghost… he was certain that there was nothing of harmless about it. More to it, the fact that this was one of the ancient Dark Lords of the Sith essentially nullified the harmlessness factor.

"At last, you have come to Ziost," spoke Tulak. "The first of the true Sith in many millennia."

"True Sith?" questioned Harry.

"Our teachings survived the war. New Sith came from these teachings, far too many Sith. None of them succeeded in either destroying the Republic or the Jedi Knights. There was also another remnant of the empire, but they vanished centuries ago after decades of war."

So his assumption was correct. There were other Sith that came after the fall of the empire.

"You kept yourself entertained then."

"If only. Korriban in a dead world, filled with the corpses and spirits of long dead Sith. The only excitement there comes from… well, it doesn't. Your emergence was the only thing of interest to me that happened in quite a long time."

"And Ziost?"

"Like Korriban, this world is silent. You'll find nothing here of value, I'm afraid. The Jedi and Republic made sure of that after the last war that happened here."

Harry sighed in irritation. "So much for coming here. This whole thing is proving to be a complete disappointment!"

"You only saw two planets," pointed out the spirit. "There are millions of populated worlds out there, and hundreds in the Stygian Caldera. You haven't seen much."

"Then I won't waste any more time here," decided Harry. "Come Theodore. We're heading to Ch'hodos."

Theodore nodded, following his master. And as they left, the sinister chuckle of Tulak Hord could be heard echoing in the empty halls of the old fortress.

* * *

Their voyage was proving to be rather uneventful. Despite a few ruins, Ch'hodos was much like Ziost, except for a few differences. Ashas Ree as well, except for the fact that it was an ocean world, with a few scattered islands and ruined cities.

Their next stop was the Dromund system, and the ship began to descend into Dromund Kaas. The skies were mostly covered in dark clouds, and the presence of the dark side was unmistakable. The ship flew above the jungle, the ship's computer having detected what seemed to be a large city. As they reached it, said city was like the others ruined, nature having reclaimed most of it.

Yet as they flew over the city, a red flare was shot from the forest, coming from near a temple.

"What's that?" asked Theodore.

"Someone attracting our attention."

The ship approached the temple, landing on a small clearing. Harry and Theodore left the ship, closing the landing pad to prevent any invasion from the wilderness. The two Sith Lords approached the temple, carving a path through the jungle with their lightsabers and the Force. It wasn't long before they reached a courtyard, a small and oddly robed figure waiting near the temple's entrance.

He could hardly see the figure's face, but the robes were as black as the night, tiny and bright white dots scattered in the robes like stars, almost as if the fabric had been ripped directly from the night sky. The figure showed no fear or surprise at their approach, remaining passive.

"Welcome to the Dark Force Temple," greeted the figure, a man. "Your arrival was foreseen."

Harry noticed the strange way in which the man has spoken. He had been taught Basic, but the version this man spoke was… odd to say the least. Likely the result of thousands of years of linguistic evolution.

"Foreseen?" he asked, trying to make himself clear to the man. "And, who are you?"

"I am Kadann, one of the Prophets of the Dark Side. Through it, we seek out visions of the Future, and your arrival here was one of these visions," said the man. "You are an emissary of the dark side, one of the true Sith, are you not?"

Harry was surprised.

"I… am, yes. Dramath Hord," he introduced himself. "And this is Theodore Nott, my apprentice."

Kadann nodded.

"Welcome to Dromund Kaas, my lord," said the prophet. "Behind me is the Dark Force Temple, home to the Prophets. If you please follow me, I will enlighten you on the current events of the galaxy."

The man seemed quite polite, and Harry could feel no trickery or deceit coming from him. At least now, that is. He would follow the man, and see what the Prophets of the Dark Side wanted with him.


	29. The Prophets and the Valley

_**Chapter 29 – The Prophets and the Valley** _

Harry quickly began to regard Kadann as an excellent and entrapping conversationalist, even despite his minor difficulties in understanding certain idioms used by the prophet. The man was a philosopher at heart, yet despite this he possessed a great strength in the Force, which Harry had sensed.

"And the Jedi?" asked the Sith.

"The Jedi Order still exists, and as dogmatic as ever. Before joining the prophets, I was one of the Jedi Knights, but disagreements with their Code led me to leave the Order," revealed Kadann.

So, not only the Republic still existed, but the Jedi did so as well. It seemed that they were truly destined to clash again. Hopefully with a victory for the Sith this time.

"Theodore, I sense you are troubled," said Harry. "Speak."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Theodore looked at Kadann.

"Supreme Prophet, that city near the Temple, there are no records about it in the Sith's records," said the apprentice. "Who built it?"

"You speak of Kaas City. It was built by the Sith Empire to be its new capital," answered Kadann. "A surviving faction of the old empire, that is."

"The capital of the empire? Then, is it possible that there is anything of value there?" asked Theodore.

Kadann nodded. "Over the centuries, the Prophets have sometimes ventured into the ruins. It was a rare occasion when we recovered Sith artefacts. The old citadel must hold more secrets, but as far as I know, we haven't ventured into that section of the city."

Theodore turned to Harry. "Master, should we try to enter the citadel?"

"Perhaps one day. For now we have to explore the rest of our route," answered the Sith Lord.

"You will go to Korriban, then."

It was not a question, but an affirmation from Kadann.

"One of your prophecies?" asked Harry.

"You shall face a great darkness in the ancient valley," declared the Supreme Prophet. "Whether you surpass it, or not, the future of the galaxy and of the Sith, the true Sith, will be decided there."

So something would happen in Korriban. That much made Harry quite excited, and at the same time, worried. What exactly was this darkness that he would have to face? But Kadann was not finished.

"You will lose," he declared. "You are not ready, that much is certain."

Harry frowned. "Not ready? I've killed many rival Sith before, even other Sith Lords."

"In the Valley of the Dark Lords, the spirits of the ancient Sith sleep restless. The moment you step foot there, they will awaken and you will be the focus of their attentions. To face a Sith Lord is one thing, to face the spirits of ancient Dark Lords in a nexus of the dark side is another," said Kadann. "You have power, that is true. But you lack the disciple and direction to properly wield it. Your eyes reflect it."

Harry was unprepared for that. "My eyes?"

"The Sith are prone to be either destroyed by their rivals, or their own uncontrolled power and hubris," declared Kadann. "The fact that your eyes are yellow, corrupted, means you've fallen into the same pit as the other Sith have."

"But… a Sith is supposed to use the dark side."

Kadann laughed. "How naïve. The dark and the light are but illusions. There is only power and the will to use it – and the wisdom to use it appropriately. Wisdom which you seem to lack, as expected from a youth."

While Harry wasn't amused at Kadann's mockery, he knew there was truth in the man's words.

"Any suggestions then? One as wise as yourself would have something, no?"

Harry noticed the small smirk on Kadann's face, which disappeared as the man rose from his seat. "Indeed. Come with me, alone."

Curious about what the Supreme Prophet wanted, Harry followed the man as Theodore reluctantly returned to the ship. Kadann left the temple, Harry closely following the man, wondering why he was being led into the depths of the jungle.

"If you are to herald the return of the true Sith to the galaxy, then you must harness a force strong enough to combat the Republic and the Jedi Knights. We have foreseen that in a decade there will be war in the galaxy, born from the manipulations of another group of Sith."

"Other Sith?"

"Our founder was called Darth Millennial, one of these Sith. This Sith Order was founded by Darth Bane a thousand years ago, after the end of the New Sith Wars. These Sith follow a restriction which allows only a master and an apprentice to exist at the same time," revealed Kadann. "Millennial was the apprentice, but he grew unsatisfied with the restrictions of this rule and abandoned his master to found the Dark Force here on Dromund Kaas. we can only assume that his master took a new apprentice, since the lineage still exists."

If he survived whatever was to come, then these Sith would possibly prove to be a problem. But for now, he would not worry about them. He had other priorities.

"Why are we in the jungle?" asked Harry, wondering about the possibility of being attacked by the wildlife.

He would curse his thoughts moments later, as a Vine Cat emerged from the bushes, attacking the two dark-siders. Kadann had not moved to attack the beast, leaving Harry to do all the work. He quickly killed the creature, having bisected part of its head.

"You didn't attack it," accused Harry.

"Of course not. That creature was under my command. Attacking it would be counter-productive."

"Why?"

"A small test. I wanted to see first hand your abilities," admitted the Supreme Prophet. "You asked me why we came to the jungle. Simple, young one. This world is shrouded in the power of the dark side, and the jungle is the most appropriate place to see the effects of this corruption."

Harry glanced around, looking for any more of Kadann's traps. "What now?"

"We go further in. Your training in the ways of the Force must be augmented. You cannot restrict yourself to the teachings of the Sith if you wish to harness the true power of the Force. This is merely a small step of your new training."

* * *

Five months had passed since Harry stepped foot on Dromund Kaas, the Sith having been taken under the tutelage of the Supreme Prophet. Even in such a small span of time, he had learned much from Kadann and the Prophets of the Dark Side, and Harry had to admit that he found his tutor's philosophies on the Force to be fascinating. He also had the opportunity to see Kadann's own power, which he had not yet displayed, when the two were attacked by a hungry Terentatek. The creature was destroyed by Kadann in seconds, reduced to ashes by an immense blast of dark side energy.

Being a witness of the man's power, Harry wondered why Kadann preferred to remain isolated with the Prophets of the Dark Side, instead of taking a more active role in the galaxy. The response was short and simple.

"Better to serve the dark side from a distance than to be close to the explosions that will come."

But Kadann knew that such a passive role was not destined for his protégé. The young Sith was destined for something greater, and the possibilities he saw in his visions only confirmed it. It was of course his duty to ensure that the future he saw was the one to happen. To his luck, the teenager was a fast learner, and an avid listener. This boy would become a champion of the dark side, and eventually of the Force itself as well. A far better choice than the shadowed man he saw in one of his visions, who failed countless times in his bid for dominion over the galaxy and the Force, his plans ruined by a regretful apprentice, and later by a bodyguard-turned-rival who would die at the hands of a former peer. The galaxy was a damned place in its current state, with the decadent Republic and its complacent Jedi protectors as its hegemons. A galaxy destined to fall into chaos required the unbending will of a Dark Lord of the Sith to restore order and stability, and he was certain that the boy would be the one.

Yet Harry had not been the only one to be trained. The Sith Lord made sure that his apprentice's own training also progressed, and those five months were rather productive in Harry's eyes, both for him and Theodore.

But now the time had come at last.

"Your understanding of the Force has grown much, young one," declared Kadann. "Before you, I see a final test, deep in the tombs of Korriban. If you succeed there, your journey will not reach its end. Instead, you shall open a door into the greater mysteries of the Force, allowing you to one day achieve true mastery over it."

"So, my training is complete?" asked Harry.

"One's training is never truly ended, but your time amongst the Prophets is done, yes. One day, we shall meet again, when the time of returning has come."

"Oh? And what will you do then?"

"The dark side is immensely tied with the Dark Lord of the Sith, and our loyalties shall lie with them, whoever they may be."

"Your visions don't tell you who it will be?"

The Supreme Prophet laughed. "There are many possibilities, one as likely to happen as the other. Revealing them to you wouldn't be beneficial."

Harry reluctantly accepted Kadann's answer, part of him disliking the possibility of a certain future. But one thing was certain, and he knew of it. His destination was still Korriban, and he had postponed his journey there long enough.

It was time to return home.

* * *

It had been centuries since a true Sith had entered the Horuset system, and Harry could brag about being the one to do so. But one thing was to enter the system, and another was to land on the world. A solitary Sith freighter approached the graveyard world, entering its atmosphere and flying over the shadowed Valley of Golg in the lowlands of Korriban, before finally reaching the ancient Valley of the Dark Lords.

Inside the ship, Harry gazed at the ancient four tombs that filled the valley's upper section, together with the large pyramid that once served as a Sith Academy. Below this area were many other tombs of ancient Dark Lords, yet none surpassed that which was the Great Temple, where many honoured Dark Lords were entombed. Harry knew of this, as it had been what every Sith were taught during their lessons regarding the history of the old empire. The ship landed in a clear area right between the tombs of the Naga Sadow and Tulak Hord, and Harry was the first to reach the loading ramp. Theodore had no need to be given the order. He knew very well that Harry wanted to be the first to step foot on Korriban, and was not about to incur his master's fury by going against his unspoken wishes. He simply watched as the ramp descended, the Sith Lord walking towards the dusty and barren ground of Korriban.

Harry took a deep breath, breathing in the air of the valley, feeling the weak saturation of the dark side, the valley having lost the potency it supposedly once had. He knelt and grabbed a handful of dirt, wanting to feel it on his hands. He wasn't sure of what to expect, as, after all, it was just dirt. Perhaps it was the sensation of feeling the homeworld of his own people, needing a physical assurance that he was there.

"Master?" finally spoke Theodore.

Harry stood up. "Welcome to the Valley of the Dark Lords, my apprentice. This is the homeworld of the Sith, both the species and the order."

The apprentice came down from the ship as well, looking at the large, although heavily damaged structures around them. "These are the tombs then."

"Yes. To our right is one built for Naga Sadow, but I doubt he was buried here since he fled Korriban. To the left is that of my ancestor, Tulak Hord. Next to his is that of Ajunta Pall, the first Dark Lord, and next to that of Sadow is the one of Marka Ragnos, greatest of the Sith Lords."

"Are they supposed to look the same?"

"From what I know, these are the main entrances to the tombs. There are other sections of the valley with more elaborate entrances to them."

"And that pyramid?"

"Once the Sith Academy. Now, I don't know," said Harry. "Five thousand years have passed since then."

To say Theodore was overwhelmed was an understatement. Since being a child, he had heard stories of how powerful Voldemort had been, and of how people both considered him great and terrible. Now, he saw the man as a mere criminal… a terrorist to be exact, compared to these ancient Dark Lords, whose tombs could tower over Hogwarts itself, and whose power was still felt even if diminished, after five millennia. And the pyramid itself was even larger than these tombs.

" _I can barely feel the potency of the dark side here,"_ thought Harry. _"It's like an empty well."_

"So, what should we do now?" asked Theodore.

Harry concentrated on the Force, trying to see if could be guided towards his next destination. To his surprise, he felt something akin to a tug, the dark side calling to him from within the tomb of his ancestor.

"The tomb of Tulak Hord calls to us."

"It could be a trap," warned Theodore.

Harry pondered this. It was true that entering the tomb of a Dark Lord of the Sith was a risky endeavour. After all, they were supposed to be protected from desecrations by rival Sith and prospective tomb robbers. Then again, many years had passed since its construction, and he was sure that the tomb had been entered since then.

"Perhaps. But we're going in anyway."

Resigning himself to what was to come, Theodore followed Harry as the Sith Lord approached the entrance to the tomb. Using the Force, the two removed the debris which blocked the entry, and with their lightsabers ignited, the two Sith entered Tulak Hord's tomb.

Inside were more debris and also bones, likely from unfortunate explorers, and also from animals.

"I think these are from a Tuk'ata," said Harry to Theodore. "They were created to guard these tombs by the ancient Sith, and my grandmother says they could speak our language. I wonder if there are any alive there…"

The two progressed deep into the tomb, and Harry's answer quickly came in the form of a group of three Tuk'ata, seemingly guarding a corridor with a ruined console. The two Sith made the first move, with Harry and Theodore attacking them with Force lighting, before deciding to strike down the creatures with their lightsabers. The emaciated Sith hounds were no match for the two, allowing them to enter the depths of the tomb.

They had now reached a large circular room, in the centre what seemed to be a strange mixture of sarcophagus and obelisk. Through the Force, Harry opened the structure, revealing what was within.

"Is that… Tulak Hord?" spoke Theodore.

The now opened sarcophagus revealed an integrated throne, sitting on it the ancient body of Tulak Hord, still wearing the Dark Lord's own armour. Harry could not tell the state of the body as the armour itself was in pristine condition, at least visibly.

"Indeed it is, apprentice."

It had not been Harry who spoke, and the two turned around to see the spirit of Tulak Hord himself, right in front of the chamber's entrance. Little difference existed between the spirit and the body of Tulak Hord, noticed Theodore, since both shared the same armour.

"It was you what I felt," accused Harry.

"Correct Dramath, and I congratulate you for finally reaching my tomb," spoke Tulak Hord. "It has been a long journey, and you have grown much, far beyond what you were when your grandmother rescued you from the clutches of those magicians."

As he spoke Tulak moved around the two teenagers, and now stood in front of his sarcophagus.

"When you first summoned me through the holocrons, you were but a child, inexperienced in the ways of the Force, the ways of the Sith, frightened by my appearance, and by the intimidation of older apprentices who envied your place. But that has changed… you have changed. I have forged you into a creature worthy of being called a Sith Lord."

Neither Harry not Theodore missed the massive shift in the dark side of the Force, now concentrated on Tulak himself.

"It is now time to harvest the fruits of my labour."

A massive burst of the dark side came from Tulak's body, the ancient Dark Lord directing it at Harry. The young Sith Lord had no time to react, and as he was hit with the powerful burst of energy, he saw only darkness.


	30. The Dark Lords of the Sith

_**Chapter 30 – The Dark Lords of the Sith** _

There was nothing but utter darkness.

Harry felt himself falling into a silent and never-ending void, his eyes starring into the abyss. He wasn't sure what had happened, or if anything had happened at all. Everything was too muddled for him to remember. It was cold too… far too cold.

And then there was a sudden loud noise, someone banging at… a door?

"Harry, wake up!"

He suddenly felt the covers of his bed around him, his face nearly buried between two pillows.

"Come on Harry, it's nearly midday!"

Oh yes, of course. He was asleep, no wonder he had felt nothing before.

" _Likely a dream,"_ he thought.

He got out of bed and opened the windows, revealing a sunny day outside, a few clouds outside, their shadows above the gardens of the manor and slowly creeping towards the house. There was a deep fog in the horizon, but as far as he knew, that was a normal occurrence here.

He quickly discarded his pyjamas, dressing a rather simple set of clothes before heading downstairs to the living room. Inside were his parents and brother, as well as quite a few other people. Dumbledore was there too, as well as Theodore, Hermione, and Neville.

"Ah, Harry, the hero of the year… the century perhaps!" spoke Dumbledore merrily. "Your defeat of Voldemort was nothing short of legendary."

He had defeated Voldemort? Oh, yeah… he did. How could he forget something like that? The dark wizard had somehow managed to resurrect himself, but he met his end at Harry's hand. He could remember it as if it had been yesterday.

Well, it had been yesterday.

"Thanks, headmaster," he said.

"The Ministry will have to award you with an Order of Merlin," spoke James. "For what you did, it will have to be a First Class!"

An Order of Merlin? That was a bit… exaggerated, no?

"You were amazing Harry! You have to teach me that magic you used against Voldemort!" said Michael.

He felt a bit odd about these compliments. In fact, there was something wrong about this whole thing, but he couldn't really understand what it was.

"I heard that the International Confederation of Wizards wants to award you as well," said Theodore. "They want to make you some sort of King of Wizardkind."

King of Wizardkind? That sounded ridiculous! This whole mess sounded ridiculous.

"They'll have to replace the Order of Merlin with the Order of Potter," said Hermione. "It's only fitting."

The others agreed with the witch, their voices and shouts of agreement echoing inside the room. The fact that the room was filled with furniture and was not that large made that impossible. All of this only made Harry even more frustrated. None of this made sense, everything seemed to become foggier. He couldn't even remember whatever had happened before his supposed battle with Voldemort. All he could remember was nothingness… and a dark figure in a strange armour.

"ENOUGH!"

Something had snapped within him. This whole scenario was infuriating him. None of it made sense, and none of it was real, he was sure of it. This life he observed was a lie… and a badly elaborated one. His hands went up, and from them came sparks of lightning, striking all those in front of him. The wizards screamed in pain, before dissipating. All except for one.

"I wasn't expecting you to resist," said Michael. "Most impressive."

Harry glared at his brother, or at least, the entity with his brother's form. Everything had become clearer to him. He was not Harry Potter, the wizard saviour. The name of "Harry Potter" was a personal token he kept, and liked to use in a sentimental manner. But it was not who he was. He was Dramath Hord, Lord of the Sith.

"What have you done to me Tulak?" he demanded.

Still in the form of Michael Potter, Tulak chuckled.

"You were supposed to fade into nothingness. To be crushed by my essence as I took your body for my own," said Tulak. "I expected resistance, but not of this scale."

Harry was surprised. "You underestimated me."

"It will be the last time," declared Tulak, as he threw a barrage of Force lightning at Harry.

Through the Force, the teenager attempted to deflect the attack, but event though most of the lightning was absorbed by the invisible barrier, some of it still hit him. Harry groaned in pain as he was thrown back by the lightning's potency, hitting the wall behind.

"I've waited six thousand years for the perfect candidate to serve as my host to appear. You have proven yourself too many times to be chosen one for that role. Through you, I shall reclaim dominion over the Sith and the galaxy itself!"

Harry had managed to stand up, now glaring at his former master. "We'll see about that."

Through the dark side, he threw a green bolt of dark energy at Tulak, the Dark Lord easily deflecting it back at Harry, who despite trying to protect himself with the Force, was almost directly hit with his own blast. The explosion devastated great part of the living room, decimating the wall behind Harry and the furniture which surrounded him.

"Young fool. I am a Dark Lord of the Sith, far more powerful than any of the lords you have faced," said Tulak. "More than a thousand Jedi died at my hands in a single battle. A child like you has no hope to even stand against me."

"Says the one who was literally stabbed in the back by his own apprentice," taunted Harry.

Tulak growled, unleashing another barrage of Force lightning at Harry. Yet despite his preparation, Harry was met with another painful experience. His attempt at using Dun Möch against Tulak had failed, and quite miserably.

"Enough with this pointless banter," said the Dark Lord. "You have lost, my apprentice. This body is mine!"

Harry was afraid. If Tulak succeeded, then it meant the end of him. He wasn't sure what would happen after that, if either he would vanish into nothingness, or if his spirit would be forever consigned to Chaos. And neither of these options appealed to him. If he had overcome the illusion that Tulak had created, then surely, he could overcome the Dark Lord himself, right?

It was then that something clicked in Harry's mind.

"I don't think so," he declared. "You seem to have forgotten where we are."

"What?"

For the first time since he appeared, Tulak seemed to be alarmed.

"You may have invaded my body, but this is still my mind," said Harry. "In here, I alone have the upper hand."

For the first time ever, Harry saw fear in his former master's face, and he felt extremely satisfied. But that fear quickly turned into anger.

"I won't let a whelp ruin everything I built!"

Tulak attempted to use lightning once more, but nothing happened. His eyes widened in terror, at this, and despite another attempt, it still failed.

"My turn."

And true to Harry's words, he attacked Hord, unleashing a second spear of hatred at the impotent Dark Lord, striking him directly.

"Your illusions are over Tulak. Your power is gone, and you are trapped here. I have surpassed you, and now I am the Master!"

Now in full control of his mind, Harry conjured his lightsaber, and in a swift move, he impaled Tulak, the Dark Lord gasping in surprise. The figure of Michael fell to his knees, shimmering for a moment, before turning back into Tulak's original armoured form. Another strike from the lightsaber was directed at the Dark Lord's neck, and although it did not decapitate the Dark Lord, it had been enough to finish the spirit of the ancient Dark Lord. He fell to the floor, and a burst of energy was all that Harry saw before he was plunged into momentary darkness.

He felt himself falling to the cold floor, breathing deeply as if he had been deprived of air, inhaling the air and dust within the ancient tomb of his former master.

"Master?"

The voice of Theodore made it clear that he had returned back to the real world. Opening his eyes confirmed it, and the Sith Lord stood up, turning to look at his apprentice. There was a look of uncertainty in Theodore's face, and Harry knew that his apprentice was wondering if he was either speaking to him, or to Tulak. It seemed that his ancestor made it clear enough what his intentions had been.

"Tulak Hord is gone," declared Harry. "His spirit has been banished into Chaos."

* * *

With everything done there, and the tomb explored, the two Sith left the old structure, making sure to seal the entrance as they left. The two Sith made their way to the ship, but stopped as both felt a great surge of dark side power.

"Master, can you feel-"

Whatever he was going to say was interrupted, as an invisible force threw back Theodore, the apprentice landing a few meters away from Harry.

" _What was that?"_ thought Harry, looking for the possible source of this attack.

He saw nothing, but he felt the dark side growing within the Valley. The sky itself became darker, and the shadows of the tombs seemed to fall on him. But there was no single source of this dark side power, for he felt it coming from several sources, all which sorrunded him.

"Who is there?" he demanded. "Show yourselves!"

The invisible figures seemed to have decided to indulge Harry, as many dark figures suddenly surrounded him. Harry nearly dropped his lightsaber in shock, feeling overwhelmed by the power that the collective presence of these spirits emanated.

"Dramath Hord," spoke one of the spirits. "The Lords of the Sith have watched your actions, and we are impressed."

"You have cast aside the shadow of your master, and proven yourself as the superior Sith," said another. "You are now the rightful Sith Master."

Harry began to realize what these things were. If he was correct, then these were the spirits of the ancient Dark Lords of the Sith. The figures seemed to shimmer, the pale blue glow of the ghosts mixed with the dusty wind of the valley.

"In you lies the future of the Sith," declared a spirit which approached Harry. "In you lies the legacy of our empire."

Had he not seen statues or holocrons, he would have not recognized this Sith Lord. But he knew who it was, for in front of him was the spirit of Marka Ragnos, who ruled over the of the Golden Age of the Sith. The spectre raised a hand, one of his fingers touching Harry's forehead. It felt as if his head would explode in pain.

"Cast aside the pretender's mark, and take this new one," said Marka Ragnos. "For through you, the Sith shall survive and thrive. And you shall now bear the mark of the Dark Lords of the Sith."

Another spirit quickly replaced that of Ragnos, touching his forehead as well, only to be replaced by another, and then another, and so on. It felt like an eternity, and he felt as the symbol itself was carved in his own skin. The immense pressure of the dark side was enough to melt away the illusion which sustained his human appearance, returning him to his true aspect of a Red Sith.

And then, at last, the final of the Dark Lords removed his finger, and the valley fell silent.


	31. Aftermath (Epilogue)

_**Epilogue – Aftermath** _

The council of Lord Gepta had gathered once more within the Sith Citadel, ready and eager to give advice to the Overlord of the Sith. The chamber of the council was large, featuring a large throne in which the Sith Overlord sat, before it ten smaller thrones belonging to the Sith Councillors, five in each side of the room. And behind these ten thrones were statues, each representing the ten surviving Jedi Exiles of the eleven who became the Sith Council of Ajunta Pall.

And behind the throne of the Overlord stood a statue of Pall himself, hybridized with iconographic elements of Typhojem, one of the ancient gods of the Sith people.

"Should they be stopped then?" spoke one of the councillors, a female Red Sith called Loun.

"As long as it doesn't develop into a full blown Kaggath, I say we let them keep at it," argued Cordelia Rothes. "More entertainment for us."

"If that happens, hopefully it won't devolve into a cold war," spoke Artaxias XII, ruler of the Artaxianate. "That war of yours with your husband lasted nearly half a century. That's anything but entertaining."

Cordelia had to agree with that. The little conflict between her and Malcolm had lasted far too long.

"Lord Gepta?"

It had been Shaar Krev who spoke, oldest member of the council and widow of Gepta's predecessor.

"Let them fight," he declared. "As Rothes said, as long as it keeps from becoming a Kaggath, there's no danger in it."

The ten lords nodded at their master's decision. The next topic of this council's session was about to be addressed, yet all felt a great tremor in the Force. Akin to a gigantic wave falling on all of them, the dark side itself seemed to scream in jubilation. Something had happened, yet none of them could figure out what it had been. The scale of this tremor had been greater than the one felt months ago… far greater.

Gepta silently stared at the councillors below, his gaze ignoring the Sith Lords. His mind was distant from them, wondering the ramifications of this disturbance. He knew very well the source of it, as the years of close training with Dramath had caused the development of a Force bond between the two, that of a master and an apprentice. But the disturbance had not its origins in Dramath. Instead, he felt that Dramath had been the target of the disturbance instead. His former apprentice was still alive and healthy, that he could feel. But what eluded and frustrated him was his complete ignorance of the events which played out in the galaxy. Such were the limitations of the bond.

He could only wonder. Wonder and wait for the apprentice to return.

* * *

Amongst the tall spires of Corucscant, capital world the Galactic Republic, were the Kaldani Spires Residential Apartments, an extremely exclusive and luxurious apartment building owned by the business tycoon Hego Damask.

Having had other uses for the Muun for the past decades, now the main suite of this building served as both the Muun's private residence, and as the "headquarters" for the execution of the Grand Plan. A Grand Plan, that he, as the Sith Lord Darth Plagueis, would see to come to fruition.

Alas, certain arising factors seemed to be not in their favour.

"Master?"

The voice of his apprentice, Darth Sidious, returned him from his meditation. The man behind him was no longer the reckless boy he had been during his days as a common noble in Naboo. From that child, he had forged a Sith Lord, one worthy of sharing rulership of the galaxy with him when the Grand Plan of the Sith was finally implemented, sweeping away both Jedi and Republic.

"You felt the disturbance as well, did you not?" asked the Munn.

"I have, yes," responded Sidious.

"Describe what you felt to me Sidious," ordered Plagueis.

"A crescendo of the dark side itself, around something or someone," said the apprentice. "A wave of immense dark side power, yet ignoring us."

Plagueis shook his head. "Not ignoring. Mocking us. We have a new enemy, somehow shrouded by the dark side."

Worse than that. Plagueis could be wrong, but it felt as if the dark side had anointed another as its champion. He could only curse his former master for damaging his ability to look into the future, as that meant they were now at a disadvantage against this new enemy.

But until they revealed themselves, then the Sith would remain hidden as well, as they had for a thousand years, continuing to pervert the Republic as per their imperative.

* * *

Not too far away from the Kaldani Spires was the ancient Jedi Temple, built in the years which followed the Great Hyperspace War. Within lived hundreds of Jedi, not counting the many other thousands scattered across the galaxy in other temples and enclaves. Coruscant Prime was descending into the horizon, slowly leaving a part of the planet in the darkness of the night.

In one of the small balconies of the temple was Yoda, Grand Master of the Order, silently staring at the descending star in the horizon. He felt the approach of another Jedi, and had no need to turn to know who it was.

"Master Plo Koon, troubled you are."

It was no question, and the Kel Dor knew it very well.

"Indeed Master Yoda. I felt a great disturbance in the Force," spoke Plo Koon. "I assume you have felt it too."

"I have felt it, yes," said Yoda. "Growing, the dark side is."

The experience had not been pleasant to the Jedi. It had been as if the Force itself had become frozen for a few moments, before returning to normal, a lingering sensation of dread remaining behind.

"Can it be the Sith?" suggested the Kel Dor. "Or perhaps some dark side adept who meddled with the wrong artefact?"

"Of the dark side, these…disturbances are. If they are caused the Sith, we know not," said the Grand Master. "Extinct, the Sith are. If they have returned, we do not know."

The uncertainty of Yoda did little to reassure Plo Koon. There was no doubt that the other Jedi had felt the disturbance as well, and possibly many more Force-sensitives. With no knowledge of the source of this disturbance, there was nothing they could do but ponder and meditate on the recent events.

In the jungles of Dromund Kaas, homeworld of the Prophets of the Dark Side, so did they feel the disturbance, and knew both its origins and possible ramifications. Many were the visions of the dark side, but all converged into a single point… and single event and individual.

All of them knew well that the ascendancy of the dark side and its philosophies was imminent, and the Supreme Prophet would make sure to follow these events very closely. The dark side was now closely tied with its new champion, and as long as the new Dark Lord of the Sith held the favour of the Force, then the Prophets follow him.

* * *

The sands of Korriban had settled in the Valley of the Dark Lords, the elements themselves submitting to the immense dark side power that now permeated the valley once more. Eyes were opened to the barren valley, now empty of the dark and ancient spirits which had moments before been there.

Harry brought his hand to his forehead, touching it and feeling what he knew to be a new mark there. He could feel no sign of the scar he had there, which meant it had been completely removed and replaced by the mark imposed on him by the ancient Dark Lords.

"Master?"

Harry was brought back to his senses by the voice of Theodore. He looked at his apprentice, who seemed to be rather startled by the revelation of his true form. Harry could only suspect that Theodore had never seen a Red Sith face to face.

"You seem, unsettled, Theodore," said Harry. "Does my appearance frighten you?"

Theodore shook his head. He was not afraid, merely surprised. He had been told by Harry himself that he was not human, yet to see it personally was something else. He also had to note that this was the first time he actually saw how a Sith looked like.

"No, my lord. I'm merely… surprised. I never saw a Sith before," he admitted.

Harry nodded, although he felt a bit irritated. Since his illusion had been dispelled by the spirits, he now had to apply it again. And he had to make sure to hide the mark. It would do no good for him to meet a Jedi and to be exposed as a Sith.

"Out work here is done then. For now, at least," declared the Dark Lord. "It's time to move on."

"Where to now?"

"We'll be looking for knowledge of the Force, and of the dark side as well. Things left behind by those that came after the first Sith Empire. I have a few ideas of where we'll begin looking."

"Where?" asked Theodore.

"I read of a Sith Lord who conquered a world and founded a dynasty of Sith sorcerers there. Although these Sith are long gone, I believe there may still secrets left behind by them there."

Theodore nodded. "And what if there's nothing?"

"We continue our search. We have plenty of time… no rush to do anything."

"So… what's the world."

Harry closed his eyes, trying to remember the correct name of the planet. A few seconds later, the name came to him.

"I think it was called… Onderon."

* * *

_The End_

* * *

_**Author's Note:** _

And here is the epilogue to "The Golden Age of the Sith". Following the theme of the Tales of the Jedi, the sequel to this story will be called "The Rise of the Sith Empire". No idea when it will be posted though. Whenever that happens, I'll post a warning in this story.

Thank you for reading!


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